Millions of gallons of untreated sewage have spilled into the Potomac River after part of a major pipeline collapsed near the Capital Beltway in Maryland.
For the past three days, DC Water crews have been working to install bypass pumps to try to contain the sewer overflow along the Clara Barton Parkway in Montgomery County after the break was reported late Monday night.
A section of the 54-mile sewer line, known as the Potomac Interceptor, collapsed, resulting in a “significant overflow,” according to officials with DC Water. Officials said they don’t yet know how many gallons went into the river and what caused the problem.
The broken pipe measured roughly six feet in diameter, which officials said was a “very, very large” break.
The interceptor line is roughly 60-years-old and carries up to 60 million gallons of wastewater daily from Loudoun and Fairfax counties, areas near Dulles Airport, Vienna, Herndon and Montgomery County to the Blue Plains Wastewater plant for treatment.
“Given the amount of flow that comes through this pipeline, we know this is a significant amount of overflow that we’re talking about — millions of gallons — that have injured the Potomac River,” Sherri Lewis, a DC Water spokesperson, said in an interview Friday.
DC Water officials said the break does not impact the public’s drinking water because the systems used for human consumption and wastewater are separate.
Some parts of the Clara Barton Parkway have been closed so crews can work on the damaged pipe and there may be ongoing road closures as well so drivers should expect delays.
Residents who live near the area may notice an odor from the overflow. The public — and their pets — are advised to avoid touching any wastewater in the area and seek medical attention if needed. Untreated sewage can cause a variety of illnesses, including E. coli and hepatitis.
It is not immediately known how long it will take crews to repair the pipe, but DC Water officials said they will work through the upcoming snowstorm that’s predicted to hit the region. They warned their efforts could be impacted if there’s heavy snowfall.
“Our progress could be slowed because of the weather,” Lewis said, “but we understand the gravity of the situation and we need to get this work done.”
Crews are trying to contain the sewer overflow into the Potomac River by creating a bypass. They’re using heavy equipment and high-powered industrial pumps — which can move up to 7 million gallons a day — to reroute the wastewater around the damaged section of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line and into a section of the C&O Canal in a dry area where it can “be safely contained and directed back into the sewer line further downstream,” according to statements from DC Water.
Lewis said the canal is designed to be gravity-fed so the sewage will “flow down and then be diverted back” into the Potomac Interceptor.
The canal’s locks 11, 12 and 13 were removed to accommodate the bypass, officials said. Once the bypass is in place, Lewis said, crews can evaluate and access the damage and give a better time frame of when it will be repaired.
DC Water said they’re working with several partners from D.C.; Montgomery, Fairfax and Loudoun counties; state agencies; plus federal offices, including the Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service and U.S. Coast Guard to contain the overflow and monitor environmental impacts.
The interceptor pipeline is part of an aging system and a 10-year, $625 million “high priority” project is underway, DC Water officials said, to rehabilitate its “most vulnerable sections.”
The public can report exposure to wastewater to DC Water at 202-612-3400.
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