Ruptured pipe fixed after spilling wastewater into Potomac

The sewage pipe rupture that caused millions of gallons of untreated sewage to flow into the Potomac River has been repaired.

DC Water, the authority that runs Washington’s water and sewage systems, reported that two months after the Potomac Interceptor broke, the underground sewer line is back in operation.

Testing early Saturday confirmed that returning flow to the Potomac Interceptor could safely be done, so DC Water removed the bulkhead gate blocking flow into the broken pipe.

The Potomac Interceptor ruptured on Jan. 19, sending over 200 million gallons of wastewater into the river just north of the nation’s capital for five days while a temporary bypass pipeline was built to prevent more contamination.

The sanitary sewer line in Maryland carries up to 60 million gallons of wastewater every day from parts of Virginia and Maryland to a D.C. wastewater treatment plant.

DC Water said final site preparations marked 33 straight days without an overflow to the river.

“Since Jan 19, crews worked around the clock to stabilize the site and protect the Potomac River,” the utility said.

Now crews will monitor the flow for 48 hours.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser declared an emergency Feb. 18, requesting federal disaster assistance. President Trump tapped the Environmental Protection Agency to lead the federal response, including relief efforts led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Although the pipe is repaired, work is still underway to fix the environmental effects of the spill. Cleanup could take months, officials told News4.

DC Water, in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA, said it will continue to clear brush and debris, remove affected soil, and provide temporary erosion and sediment control and soil stabilization measures.

The environmental rehabilitation of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, a historic waterway along the Potomac River, will involve flushing the canal with freshwater.

DC Water will host two community meetings — one in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Wednesday and another in Alexandria, Virginia, on Thursday — about the Potomac Interceptor repair and environmental rehabilitation.