US EditionMassive Potomac Sewage Spill Contaminates River with Extreme E coli Levels
An aging 6-foot sewer pipe failure released 300 million gallons of sewage, causing E. coli levels up to 12,000 times above safe limits, with cleanup ongoing.
- On Jan. 19 a major underground sewer line ruptured in Montgomery County, sending nearly 300 million gallons of sewage into the Potomac River, the Potomac Riverkeeper Network reported.
- At the rupture near Cabin John at Lock 10, sewage gushed several feet into the air and flowed into normally dry stretches of the C&O Canal before reaching the Potomac Interceptor.
- Potomac Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks said testing on January 23 showed a Lock 10 sample measured 4,884,000 MPN, 11,900 times the 410 MPN safety limit, with Fletcher's Boathouse 60 times above safe E. coli levels.
- DC Water says crews are operating a temporary bypass and have sharply reduced the stream delivering millions of gallons each day while repairs continue, and officials say the drinking water supply is not affected.
- Potomac Riverkeeper Network officials warn that January 23 testing shows the discharge contains bacteria, pathogens and parasites now impacting the river ecosystem and suggests long-term effects.
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45 Articles
The Independent
The Independent (US)E Coli levels test ‘dangerously high’ in Potomac River after sewage spill
Millions of gallons of toxic waste entered the river following a leak from a major underground sewer
Crumbling infrastructure: Massive sewage spill flowing into...
A massive pipe that moves millions of gallons of sewage has ruptured and sent wastewater flowing into the Potomac River northwest of Washington, D.C., polluting it ahead of a major winter storm that has repair crews scrambling. DC Water, which operates the sewer system, is hooking up pumps to divert sewage around the rupture and allow crews to make repairs. It has cautioned people to stay out of the area and to wash their skin if exposed. The sp…
US Capital Washington Under Fire After Massive Sewage Leak
A nonprofit says authorities in the US capital Washington have failed to properly warn the public about a massive sewage leak into the Potomac River, thought to be among the largest such spills in the nation's history. A six-foot-wide rupture in an aging line on January 19 released 40 million gallons of raw effluent until January 24, when DC Water, the city's water utility, activated a bypass that channeled the flow through a canal and back into
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