Potomac River Sewage Spill Uncertainty and Frustration Remain One Month Later

Crisis underscores funding need for aging wastewater systems across the region

Concern in the D.C. area continues one month after approximately 243 million gallons of sewage spilled into the Potomac River following a pipeline breach on Jan. 19, underscoring risks from aging sewage systems across the region.

Federal and state elected leaders are expressing growing frustration around efforts to address the spill. This comes as federal funding to fix aging sewage infrastructure remains on the chopping block.

On Friday, Feb. 13, DC Water, the Maryland Department of the Environment, Potomac Riverkeeper Network, and University of Maryland gave an update to Maryland legislators on a House subcommittee about current efforts to contain the overflow and repair the failing pipe.

DC authorities have advised the public to avoid contact with the river. Now that ice has thawed, DC Water and the Maryland Department of the Environment will conduct weekly tests for E. coli bacteria and other threats. Immediate and long-term impacts to the environment are still relatively unknown.

Untreated sewage can contain toxic chemicals, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, nutrients, viruses, and bacteria. These pollutants can pose health risks to people and animals that come in contact with them. Sewage can also feed algal blooms, especially in warmer weather, which can in turn cause dead zones and fish kills.

Aging sewage infrastructure is an ongoing problem in cities around the Chesapeake Bay region and across the country. While major state and federal investments have dramatically reduced pollution from wastewater treatment plants in recent years, smaller sewage overflows and spills occur regularly in many other cities, including Alexandria, Baltimore, Richmond, and Harrisburg.

For example, in 2018 Baltimore suffered about 250 million gallons of sewage overflows over the course of the year. Combined sewer systems in some Virginia cities release sewage mixed with stormwater into the James and Potomac rivers, with the sewage portion totaling as much as 400 million gallons in 2024. Massive efforts and investment are underway to stem pollution across the region. In September 2024, a ruptured sewer line near Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania spilled nearly a million gallons of untreated sewage into a tributary of the Susquehanna River.

State and federal support for addressing this spill and avoiding future disasters is needed:

• In its Fiscal Year 2026 budget request, the Trump Administration proposed a 90% cut to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which helps cities and states pay for upgrades needed to address aging infrastructure and prevent sewage pollution.
• Funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which has supported wastewater and sewage system upgrades across our region, will expire this year without action from Congress and the Trump Administration.
• The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for oversight of D.C. Water yet has not stepped up in the response. EPA representatives declined to attend the Feb. 13 meeting with Maryland legislators.
• Virginia and Maryland must continue to invest in wastewater upgrades, especially with ongoing federal uncertainty. That includes continuing payments to the Bay Restoration Fund at the current level, or increasing the fee, after the 2030 fee increase sunset. In Virginia, that includes ongoing state investment in wastewater treatment plant upgrades.
• According to EPA’s 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs Survey, Pennsylvania faces $8.21 billion in unmet wastewater infrastructure needs, with more than half (53%) to address failing Combined Sewer Overflow systems. This significant funding gap underscores the urgency of modernizing aging infrastructure to better protect communities and waterways.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) originally issued remarks on Jan. 26 on the spill. On the one-month anniversary, CBF President & CEO Hilary Harp Falk issued the following statement:

“This environmental crisis is damaging the Potomac River, threatening our community, and undermining public faith in efforts to clean up the river and Chesapeake Bay.

“The Potomac spill draws long overdue attention to aging wastewater infrastructure that every year sends millions of gallons of raw sewage into rivers across our region, from Harrisburg to Baltimore to Washington D.C. to Richmond. Upgrades to many wastewater treatment systems have dramatically cut pollution to the Bay and its rivers. But the Potomac disaster underscores that a one-time investment is not enough. We can’t afford a repeat catastrophe.

“Now is the time to work together. In the near term, everyone must remain laser focused on repairing the pipe along the Potomac and limiting further sewage pollution. More leadership and investment must come from EPA and the Trump Administration.

“The Potomac wake-up call should spark action to fund the major, ongoing investments needed to modernize all wastewater systems across the region. If President Trump is serious about sending federal government support, he can start by directing EPA to get involved. Next, the Trump Administration must abandon efforts to slash funding for aging infrastructure. Congress and the states have shown their support for these investments. It is time the Trump Administration does as well.

“We are immensely grateful for the leadership of local watershed organizations, including the Potomac Conservancy and Potomac Riverkeeper Network. We will continue to work with our partners across the region—nonprofits, governments, and businesses alike—to address threats to the Potomac and the Bay while advocating for ongoing investment in failing wastewater systems. By working together and across the aisle, we can deliver on the promise of clean water.”