Potomac Sewage Spill: Mounting questions as repair and cleanup continue

Potomac Sewage Spill: Mounting questions as cleanup continues

Officials say overflow into the Potomac River following a massive sewage spill has stopped and repair work is moving forward, but hundreds of millions of gallons have contaminated the water and questions are growing about how the situation spiraled out of control.

WASHINGTON - Officials say overflow into the Potomac River following a massive sewage spill has stopped and repair work is moving forward, but hundreds of millions of gallons have contaminated the water and questions are growing about how the situation spiraled out of control.

What we know:

FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick says Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public health emergency Wednesday and asked FEMA to help coordinate the response among local agencies. Politics, however, are adding new tension.

READ MORE: DC Water reaches damaged section of Potomac Interceptor that caused sewage spill

The collapsed sewer pipe sits on federal land. DC Water provides water and sewer service to the District and treats wastewater for parts of Maryland and Virginia. On his Truth Social account, President Donald Trump again blamed Maryland Governor Wes Moore, accusing Maryland and Virginia Democrats of failing to maintain "their" infrastructure and suggesting they should "politely" ask the federal government for help.

Moore said Maryland will not seek an emergency declaration, arguing the infrastructure is already the responsibility of the Trump administration.

D.C. seeks federal help for massive Potomac sewage rupture

This morning DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has requested federal support and full reimbursement after a ruptured pipe dumped more than 243 million gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River. 

According to DC Water, no sewage has entered the river since Feb. 9. Recent testing shows E. coli levels along most of the Potomac are well below EPA limits, except at the immediate collapse site. The District’s Department of Energy and Environment is now posting daily test results.

DC Water says permanent repairs should be finished by mid‑March and stresses that the region’s drinking water supply is not affected.

As for criticism that the Bowser administration downplayed the spill and waited nearly a month to publicly request federal help, the mayor has pushed back, saying the timing reflects ongoing assessments and the need to coordinate the most effective response.