A catastrophic sewer pipe failure is dumping an estimated 40 million gallons of raw sewage daily into the Potomac River northwest of Washington, D.C., exposing how deferred infrastructure maintenance is threatening public health and water quality. 

What's happening?

According to the Associated Press, a 72-inch diameter sewer pipe collapsed in January, shooting sewage out of the ground and into the river near Glen Echo, Maryland. The pipe forms part of the Potomac Interceptor system, first installed in the 1960s.

DC Water estimated the overflow at around 40 million gallons per day — enough to fill around 66 Olympic-size swimming pools. The organization, however, can't determine exactly how much sewage has entered the river since the rupture began. 

"Oh, my god, the smell is horrific," Dean Naujoks, the Potomac Riverkeeper, told the Associated Press. "It's such high concentrations of sewage that just grabbing a sample is a public health risk."

An AP video showed signs warning "DANGER" and "Raw Sewage" posted near the river. Environmental workers wore protective gloves while collecting water samples to test for E.coli and other bacteria. 

Naujoks described sewage "bubbling up like a small geyser, maybe two, three feet into the air" with wastewater "running in every direction," per the news outlet. 

Why is the pipe collapse important?

This environmental disaster shows the potential consequences of delaying critical infrastructure maintenance. DC Water knew the pipeline was deteriorating, having recently completed rehabilitation work on a section around a quarter-mile from the break. 

Additional repairs on "high priority" sections were scheduled to begin later in 2026.

As a result of the pipe collapse, raw sewage containing dangerous bacteria and pathogens is spilling into the waterway, with authorities warning people to stay away from the area and wash their skin if exposed to contaminated water. 

A 2022 EPA survey estimated that Washington, D.C. needs about $1.33 billion over the next 20 years to replace or repair structurally failing sewer systems. Nationally, hundreds of billions in infrastructure investments are needed over the coming years to address aging sewer pipes. 

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"This is why we can't defer maintenance of our wastewater infrastructure," Gary Belan, a senior director with American Rivers, told the AP. "Too often, we're dependent on these disasters to prod us forward."

What's being done about aging infrastructure?

Repair crews are installing pumps capable of diverting sewage into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, rerouting it back into the sewer system downstream. The pumps have enough capacity to handle all sewage flow during dry weather, but could be overwhelmed by stormwater surges. 

Officials initially aimed to complete the bypass system by the end of January, though winter storms could make that difficult. According to the Washington Post, as of January 29, officials said a "small amount of residual wastewater is still in the creek bed, but most of the flow to the river has stopped in the interim."

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