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DC Water, EPA provide update on Interceptor collapse
Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency and DC Water will give an update on the Potomac Interceptor just days after emergency repairs were completed on the massive sewage pipe that ruptured and leaked millions of gallons of raw waste into the Potomac River.
WASHINGTON - Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency and DC Water will give an update on the Potomac Interceptor just days after emergency repairs were completed on the massive sewage pipe that ruptured and leaked millions of gallons of raw waste into the Potomac River.
READ MORE: DC Water completes emergency repairs on Potomac Interceptor restores water flow
What we know:
The utility company reported that it had completed testing to determine whether the 72-inch diameter pipe could handle the flow.
The Potomac Interceptor ruptured on Jan. 19, sending 250 million gallons of untreated sewage into the river near the nation’s capital over the first five days.
READ MORE: Potomac Riverkeeper Network finds ongoing fecal contamination; DC Water faces class‑action suit
The utility worked with the EPA and other agencies to repair the leak and monitor the ecological impact on the river. Other work on the pipe and system could take months.
Drinking water was never in jeopardy, but recreational use by anglers, boaters and others on the Potomac has been closely monitored because of concerns over the presence of dangerous bacteria that can be passed along through direct contact with the water.
A class action lawsuit was filed March 6 in U.S. District Court in Maryland accusing DC Water with negligence.
READ MORE: Officials warn Potomac sewage spill damage may last a decade
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.