On Monday, February 16, DC Water provided an update on repairs to a major sewer line that collapsed on January 19 along Clara Barton Parkway near the I-495 interchange and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
The collapse released an estimated 200 million gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River, an event the University of Maryland has described as one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history. Also on Monday, President Donald Trump announced that the federal government would step in to provide management, direction, and coordination to help protect the Potomac River and the region’s water supply.
DC Water said crews and contractors are nearing completion of an enhanced bypass pumping system that will allow emergency repairs to begin on the damaged section of the Potomac Interceptor. A new upstream access pit with additional high-capacity pumps was activated ahead of recent rain and snowmelt, and more pumps are expected to come online to provide added capacity and redundancy. Once a steel bulkhead gate is installed to isolate the damaged pipe and a rock dam is removed, crews will be able to fully assess the damage and begin targeted repairs. Emergency repairs are expected to take four to six weeks, followed by a longer-term rehabilitation project lasting approximately nine to ten months, which will include slip lining and geopolymer lining to reinforce more than 2,700 feet of pipe. DC Water said environmental restoration plans are being developed with regulators, and water quality sampling results continue to be posted online.
