DC Water holds public meeting to hear from residents on sewage spill response

DC Water holds public meeting to hear from residents on sewage spill response

As the long-term cleanup near the Potomac Interceptor continues, DC Water says they want to hear from residents. The agency is holding two public meetings in response to the recent efforts.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - As the long-term cleanup near the Potomac Interceptor continues, DC Water says they want to hear from residents. 

The agency is holding two public meetings in response to the recent efforts.

Public outreach:

The first conference was held at Walt Whitman High School, and people didn't hold back on their concerns.

Those who attended Wednesday’s meeting are still trying to process how this happened, and there are growing questions about the environmental impact on the Potomac River after hundreds of millions of gallons of wastewater spilled into it.

Turnout was strong at today’s meeting—including a coalition focused on protecting the Potomac River.

"We certainly have concerns about where else might be vulnerable, where else there might potentially be damage or risk of collapse. We want to see an independent third-party investigation," said Hedrick Belin, the president of the Potomac Conservancy. 

What they're saying:

Residents tell FOX 5 the incident has shaken their trust—and raised serious public health concerns.

"A lot of people do not believe your data because they’re saying, ‘it’s DC Water, they’re lying about other things,’" on resident of Cabin John said. "You have  trust issue you need to alert right."

They’re calling for a deeper investigation into the interceptor’s failure.

While many have praised DC Water's initial response, others say it’s not enough and they want long-term solutions and accountability.

Dig deeper:

Earlier this week, FOX 5 visited the collapse site with DC Water, where flow has now been restored thanks to a multi-agency response.
Officials say the canal bypass prevented nearly 2 billion gallons of additional overflow.

Now the focus shifts to testing soil and water as crews work on a long-term fix. 

Clean-up is underway in the C&O Canal. Crews have removed sludge and debris while water is being used to help flush the canal.

"Sewage was there and ran through for so long that some of that has been seeped into the ground, and so it’s important to do that cleanup. Not just close the pipe," said Dr. Kisha Davis with the Montgomery County Health Department. "The restoration continues beyond that."

In the meantime, Maryland health officials urge people to avoid contact with water near the hardest-hit areas.