D.C. officials said Monday that the Potomac River is safe for recreational activities again following a January sewage spill that contaminated the waterway with disease-carrying bacteria.
The D.C. Department of Health said the levels of E. coli had fallen within a range that is appropriate for boating, canoeing and kayaking, prompting the agency to lift its advisory that cautioned against going out on the water.
“After careful review of the last three weeks of water quality data, we are confident that conditions in the District’s portion of the Potomac River no longer pose an elevated public health risk,” Dr. Ayanna Bennett, director of DC Health, said in a statement. “This advisory applies only to waters within the District of Columbia, and we encourage residents to follow guidance from neighboring jurisdictions for areas outside the District’s boundaries.”
The advisory was first published after a crucial pipeline ruptured and sent roughly 250 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac.
Bacteria associated with staph infections and MRSA, as well as E. coli, were largely concentrated where the pipe broke in Montgomery County.
But DC Water, the utility company that manages the pipe, documented traces of bacteria miles downriver from the fractured sewer line.
The sewage spill is considered one of the largest in U.S. history.
Officials said fully replacing the pipe could take up to 10 months.
The broken pipe caught the attention of President Trump, who criticized local leaders in the District, Maryland and Virginia — all of whom are Democrats — for moving slowly on the cleanup.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser responded by issuing a local emergency last month. Mr. Trump issued a federal emergency to help with decontaminating the river soon afterward.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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