On Monday evening, January 19th, a major sewage pipeline in Maryland, United States, suddenly ruptured, causing a large amount of sewage to flow into the Potomac River, posing a threat to Washington D.C. located downstream.
The large sewage pipeline, known as the Potomac Interceptor (PI), is approximately 54 miles long and can reach a diameter of 72 inches. It is responsible for transporting sewage from around Dulles Airport in Virginia, Loudoun County, Fairfax County, and Montgomery County in Maryland to the Blue Plains sewage treatment plant in Washington D.C.
According to a report by the Associated Press on Friday, January 23rd, the leak occurred in Montgomery County, Maryland, near the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park.
Warning signs saying “Danger” and “Sewage” have been erected along the riverbank, cautioning people not to enter the area.
A spokesperson for DC Water, the agency responsible for managing the sewage system, stated that an estimated 40 million gallons (about 150 million liters) of sewage leaked per day, enough to fill approximately 66 Olympic-sized swimming pools. It is still unclear how much sewage has flowed into the river so far.
DC Water stated that their staff and contractors are actively constructing a bypass system to control sewage overflow. This will allow personnel to inspect the sewage pipeline and assess the extent of damage. The planned bypass system will divert sewage around the upstream area of the rupture, using the currently dry Chesapeake and Ohio Canal as a temporary conduit, redirecting the sewage back to the downstream PI pipeline to prevent continued overflow into the Potomac River and protect the surrounding environment.
Dean Naujoks, a member of a non-profit environmental organization, described the situation as dreadful, with sewage concentration being too high even to sample without risks. He described sewage gushing out like a small geyser, possibly reaching up to two to three feet in height.
He and another man donned protective gloves to collect water samples from the river to test for E. coli and other bacteria.
A spokesperson for DC Water reminded the public to stay away from the area, advising that if skin comes into contact with sewage, it should be washed immediately. They also stated that this leak will not affect drinking water since it is a separate system.
The spokesperson mentioned that the pipeline was installed in the 1960s and is aging. Some repair work began in September last year and was recently completed, with repairs to other “high priority” pipeline sections expected to commence later this year.
Gary Belan, a senior director at the American Rivers environmental organization, highlighted the significant funding gap in the United States’ water infrastructure and emphasized the need to not postpone maintenance of sewage infrastructure until disasters occur.
Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington D.C. acknowledged the sewage leak incident, stating that they currently cannot provide a definitive answer but promised to offer more information as soon as possible.
Kelly Offner, a spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Mid-Atlantic region, mentioned that the agency is coordinating with DC Water, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and other federal, state, and local governments to assess the environmental impact of the sewage overflow event on the Potomac River.
She stated, “Since the leak occurred on January 19th, DC Water has been providing daily updates, coordinating efforts to control the overflow, monitor environmental impacts, and communicate with the public.”
A survey conducted by the EPA in 2022 estimated that Washington D.C. will need approximately $1.33 billion over the next 20 years to replace or repair aging sewage pipes.
(This article references a report by the Associated Press)