D.C. Mayor Declares Emergency Over Potomac Sewage Spill

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a local emergency on Wednesday and requested federal assistance from President Donald Trump to address a major sewage spill into the Potomac River, which has released an estimated 250 million gallons of untreated wastewater since a pipeline rupture earlier this year.

The incident began on January 19 when a section of the 72-inch Potomac Interceptor pipeline collapsed in Montgomery County, Maryland, near the Clara Barton Parkway, about five miles upstream from the city. The pipeline, installed in the 1960s and operated by D.C. Water, carries wastewater from the Washington region to treatment facilities. For the first five days, sewage flowed unchecked into the river and nearby drainage channels until bypass pumping systems were activated. Officials reported no further major overflows after early February, though intermittent releases occurred until containment efforts stabilized the flow.

D.C. Water has been leading repair operations in coordination with federal and state agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, which has assisted in assessing ecological impacts. Crews recently discovered a large rock obstruction near...