D.C. Water says there has been no lasting harm to the Potomac River after a catastrophic sewage spill in January poured 243 million gallons of untreated waste into the water.
The spill, caused by the collapse of a sewage pipe that carries wastewater from Maryland and Virginia to a treatment plant in the District, resulted in dangerous levels of E. coli bacteria in the river for months, according to daily testing performed by D.C. Water. Levels mostly evened out in March, but more robust testing started in August to get a better picture of the river’s health.
Results from those tests, which measured levels of oxygen, nutrients and metals in the river, placed each within normal range and “found no current signs of harm from the overflow,” according to an update from D.C. Water on Wednesday.
Emergency repairs restored flow to the busted section of pipe in March, but work continues on a larger project to rehabilitate the 54-mile sewer line. Following the collapse, D.C. Water identified four other sections of the pipe that required critical repairs to address “serious damage,” such as corrosion, worn concrete and exposed steel supports.
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The agency had completed two of those projects as of Sept. 3. John Lisle, a D.C. Water spokesperson, said work at the other two sites is ongoing, and the agency anticipates most of the remaining projects to be finished this fall.
The Justice Department and Maryland’s Department of Environment sued D.C. Water in April for failing to properly maintain the sewer line. The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, a Maryland utility company that supplies water to 1.9 million residents, joined the lawsuit in September. Legal proceedings are ongoing.
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