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2w ago

White House Says Federal Help Is Ready in Potomac Sewage Spill, Awaiting Formal Local Requests

Tests show bacteria far above EPA limits near the break, with DC Water targeting mid-March for emergency repairs.

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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is interviewed by USA TODAY White House Correspondent, Francesca Chambers on Feb. 18, 2026 at the office of The Pew Charitable Trust in Washington, DC.
Pumps and pipes divert raw sewage into the C&O Canal and around a broken section of the Potomac Interceptor, a six-foot-wide pipe that collapsed on January 19, in between the Clara Barton Parkway and the canal, in Cabin John, Md., on Feb. 16, 2026.
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Overview

  • About 240–243.5 million gallons of raw sewage entered the Potomac after a Jan. 19 collapse of the Potomac Interceptor in Montgomery County, Maryland.
  • DC Water completed a bypass on Jan. 24 and plans to install a steel bulkhead gate this week to isolate the damaged section before excavation.
  • E. coli readings at the spill site have been hundreds to thousands of times over EPA recreational thresholds, prompting multi-jurisdiction advisories to avoid the river, while officials say drinking water remains safe.
  • The White House says President Trump wants EPA, FEMA and the Army Corps engaged but requires a formal request from D.C., Maryland or Virginia to trigger federal disaster authorities.
  • Maryland Gov. Wes Moore contends the failed line sits on federal land and is owned and operated by DC Water under federal oversight, and he publicly urged the president to act.