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Jones Falls Sewage Spill Revised to 1.7 Million Gallons as Probe Focuses on Suspected Pipe Break

State regulators increased the estimate to about 1.7 million gallons, reflecting a significant release under investigation.

Overview

  • Officials said the overflow began around noon Wednesday near the 2200 block of Huntingdon Ave. in Remington and was stopped by 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
  • Untreated sewage exited a manhole into a storm drain that feeds the Jones Falls, and state and city teams have posted warnings, visited the site, and begun water sampling and monitoring.
  • Investigators suspect a broken pipe and the city constructed a bypass to prevent additional discharges, with the formal cause still under review.
  • Blue Water Baltimore cautioned that the dry-weather spill was not diluted and could carry pathogens, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and other contaminants downstream.
  • The episode underscores persistent infrastructure problems as Baltimore operates under a federal-state consent decree and seeks to extend its compliance deadline to 2046 after projecting about $2 billion in upgrades by decade’s end.