The massive sewage pipe that ruptured and spilled raw waste into the Potomac River returned to service Saturday after DC Water completed emergency repairs and testing, the utility said. DC Water reported it finished testing to determine whether the 72-inch-diameter pipe could handle the flow, following the Jan. 19 rupture that sent untreated sewage into the river just north of the nation’s capital over the first five days.
DC Water said it worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies to repair the leak and to monitor the ecological impact on the Potomac. The utility also said that additional work on the pipe and associated systems could take months, even as the repaired pipe began operating again.
The rupture occurred in Montgomery County, Maryland, along Clara Barton Parkway, which runs along the Potomac’s northern edge near the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park. DC Water said the leak became a serious environmental issue and that the repair and restoration efforts have continued alongside government responses.
DC Water said drinking water was never in jeopardy during the incident. Even so, recreational use of the river—particularly by anglers and boaters—has been closely monitored because of concerns about potentially deadly bacteria that can spread through direct contact with the water.
In a post on X, DC Water said “full flow has been restored and the C&O Canal has been fully drained as part of site restoration,” adding that crews “worked around the clock” after the Jan. 19 rupture to stabilize the site and protect the river.
The District of Columbia’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, declared an emergency Feb. 18 and requested federal resources after President Donald Trump chided Democratic leaders in Maryland, Washington and Virginia for not seeking help, days before approving emergency assistance. Betsy Nicholas, president of the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, said the incident “could have been so much worse given the vulnerability of our drinking water system” across the district, Montgomery County and Virginia’s Arlington County.
Nicholas said the situation underscored the need for ecological assessments and remediation efforts, including what she described as natural solutions such as freshwater mussels and native aquatic plants. She also said residents need assurances that the issue will not recur, including “full inspection of the entire remaining system.”
Separately, a class action lawsuit filed March 6 in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, accuses DC Water of negligence. The complaint, filed by Nicholas Lailas, a Virginia resident and recreational boat user on the Potomac, seeks compensation for people “whose property interests in and use and enjoyment of the Potomac River … have been impaired by Defendant’s conduct,” and it does not specify a damage amount.
DC Water said it is holding a series of public meetings to discuss updates on the repair and environmental rehabilitation, including meetings scheduled for next week in Bethesda, Maryland, and Alexandria.