The latest updates from the Potomac Interceptor Sewage Spill
/What you need to know about this massive pollution incident and how you can help us demand accountability and action
Taken on Feb. 16, 2026
On January 19, 2026, a large DC Water sewer pipe burst near the C&O Canal in Cabin John, Maryland. The infrastructure failure has contaminated the Potomac River as raw sewage continues to flow into its waters.
We can't overstate how upsetting and frustrating this ecological disaster is for our community. We fish, bike, and paddle along the river. We rely on the Potomac for the water our families drink. This infrastructure failure is beyond acceptable.
This is our water.
Potomac Conservancy President Hedrick Belin has been in close contact with impacted community members and leaders, and visited the site shortly after the incident occurred.
Here are the latest facts (updated March 6th):
🔵 On March 4, Potomac Conservancy published a statement that public trust has collapsed after DC Water failed to respond to our Feb 9 sign-on letter for actions and answers; their deadline was February 27. Supported by over 2,100 signatories from residents, environmental groups, and outdoor businesses – our demands for an independent investigation, environmental impact studies, and a collaborative remediation process have not been met.
🔵 Potomac Conservancy has been out in force calling for accountability and stronger community engagement from DC Water. Our staff attended a Feb 25 stakeholder meeting with the utility and represented our supporters at their first community meetings on Feb 25-26. President Hedrick Belin testified at a Mar 2 DC Council hearing on the matter. (Help us continue the fight by donating today!)
🔵 On Monday, March 2, the District lifted its recreation restrictions on the Potomac River. The longstanding ban on swimming in District waters remains in effect.
🔵 State health advisories in Maryland and Virginia have been lifted for most areas. They remain in Montgomery County, Maryland, and a five-mile stretch of the Potomac from the American Legion Memorial Bridge in Fairfax County to the Route 120 bridge in Virginia.
🔵 DC Water is now reinforcing the damaged section of the pipe using geopolymer to restore flow in its system by mid-March. A permanent repair is expected to be completed in the fall. No overflows have been reported since Feb 8.
🔵 At a Mar 2 DC Council hearing, DC Water CEO David Gadis said the stretch of pipe that collapsed was rated “moderate” for risk and not deemed in urgent need of repair. The cause of the collapse will be coming later this month.
🔵 DC Water has started a $10 million remediation project at the site; it does not address impacted areas downstream. DC Water did not previously disclose the plans or permits, and did not consult with local environmental groups.
🔵 At the request of local community leaders, DC Water started water quality testing on March 4 at Sycamore Island and a channel at Lock 6 where a kayak slalom course is located.
Updates from Feb 27th
🔵 President Trump approved federal assistance on February 20. The US Army Corps of Engineers is now working with DC Water to manage runoff that could compromise the bypass system.
🔵 DC Water held two public meetings this week (2/25 and 2/26) for the community. Potomac Conservancy attended both of them alongside dozens of residents who are extremely concerned about ecological impacts on the river. DC Water is working on an ecological restoration plan but have not shared any specifics.
🔵 The District is considering ending its recreation restrictions as soon as Monday, March 2 if downstream E. coli levels remain low. DC Water, the District, and the Potomac Riverkeeper Network continue separate water quality testing.
🔵 DC Water has reported no overflows reported since February 8.
🔵 Potomac Conservancy is leading partnership coordination to foster information-sharing, identify and implement response needs, and strengthen unified response efforts.
🔵 Testing results from the District, DC Water, and Potomac Riverkeeper Network/University of Maryland show continued elevated, unsafe E. coli levels at and near the collapse site, and a short-term trend of safe E. coli levels downstream in Washington, DC waters. There is variability among the test datasets.
Updates from Feb 20
🔵 February 16th, Pipeline repairs to take up to 6 weeks as Potomac River sewage spill continues
🔵 February 13th, Potomac River sewage spill deemed one of the largest wastewater spills in the nation’s history
🔵 There remain some recreation advisories and shellfish harvest bans in place. Residents are encouraged to follow your local and state public health guidance.
Updates from Feb 13
🔵 Initial results from Potomac Riverkeeper Network and University of Maryland researchers found that E. coli levels were 10,000 times over the recreational water quality limit.
🔵 February 7th, Potomac Conservancy submitted our letter, signed by 2,100 concerned community members, to DC Water demanding action, transparency, and accountability.
Updates from Feb 7 and before
🔵 January 23, DC Water began installing pumps to divert sewage around the rupture and allow crews to make repairs.
🔵 An estimated 240 million gallons of raw sewage have entered the Potomac River, more volume than the Tidal Basin could hold.
🔵 On Jan 19, 2026, the DC Water Potomac Interceptor pipe burst near the Clara Barton Parkway and Lock 10 of the C&O Canal in MD. This pipe has been under rehabilitation work since September 2025.
Readers are encouraged to visit DC Water’s news page for the latest information.
It's been over 30 days since the Potomac Interceptor sewage pipe collapsed. We're grateful that local leaders are finally stepping up and taking action so this issue can receive more resources and stronger coordination. But it should not take a month for elected officials and civic leaders to appear in public, take responsibility, and start providing some specific, actionable answers.
Potomac Conservancy has been demanding answers, speaking up, and working with partners since Day 1. While we appreciate the increased national attention, we don’t need partisan politics getting in the way when this is such an urgent situation impacting so many people. We need to all work together for the common mission of restoring the Potomac and the affected areas of the C&O Canal.
A Potomac island was their haven. A sewage spill made it unreachable - Washington Post (Feb. 23, 2026)
Residents demand answers as officials say Potomac River safe by Monday - 13 News Now (Feb. 25 2026)
Potomac Sewage Spill Becomes Ecological Disaster and Political Fight - New York Times (Feb. 17, 2026)
Massive sewage spill in Potomac River becomes a political flashpoint - PBS News Hour (Feb. 18 2026)
Massive sewage spill could plague Potomac River through most of 2026 - WMAL (Feb. 18, 2026)
Potomac Interceptor Collapse Leaves Residents, Advocates Concerned - Washington Informer (Feb. 18, 2026)
Trump says FEMA will play ‘key role’ in coordinating response to Potomac sewage spill - Politico (Feb. 16, 2026)
The Potomac sewage spill is a disaster for river activities this year - Axios D.C (Feb. 13, 2026)
Our 2025 Potomac Report Card findings warned that our river's overall health has stalled at a "B" over the last decade and remains too polluted for safe swimming and fish consumption for many. With this latest incident, the Potomac's recovery has taken a step back, not forward. We must correct course.
We value DC Water's Clean Rivers Project and their achievements in drastically reducing sewage overflows. Potomac Conservancy is now calling on them to meet the highest standards for mitigation, restoration, and future prevention.
What we're calling on DC Water to do:
Immediate and Short-Term Actions:
Provide transparent, ongoing updates regarding the volume of sewage released, the duration of the spill, and the effectiveness of the containment measures.
Investigation and Accountability:
Identify other known or potential weak points within the system and provide a clear, swift timeline and plan for addressing them.
Restoration, Mitigation, and Long-Term Prevention:
Commit to comprehensive environmental mitigation and restoration efforts to address ecological harm to the C&O Canal and Potomac River, both in the immediate aftermath and over the long term.
Together, we’ll work with you and the community to restore one of our region’s most important waterways, the Potomac River.
