A large sewer line collapse near Washington, D.C., has dumped more than 900 million litres (243 million gallons) of wastewater into the Potomac River basin over the past several weeks.
This is one of the largest wastewater spills in American history.
The incident began on Jan. 19 when a large sewer line known as the Potomac Interceptor (PI) broke beneath a roadway along the Potomac River about 14 km upstream from the heart of Washington, D.C. The break released a steady stream of untreated wastewater into the local environment.
DC Water said in a release on its website that “the PI carries about 60 million gallons [227 million litres] of wastewater daily” from as far away as Washington-Dulles Airport.
“I think it’s going to be somewhat devastating," Dean Naujoks of Potomac Riverkeeper told a group of reporters after the committee meeting.
Between January 19 and February 6, more than 242 million gallons of sewage spilled out, and more is trickling in. DC Water installed a bypass system that redirects wastewater to the C&O Canal, which is then pumped back into the Potomac Interceptor.
Prince George's and Montgomery Counties warned residents in January. The District and Commonwealth just announced warnings on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
“I’ve been frustrated it took 25 days for DC to post a public health advisory," said Naujoks.
