Nine months after more than 240 million gallons of raw human sewage spilled into the Potomac River, D.C. Water officials have declared it is now healthy.
In January, part of a 54-mile-long pipeline, known as the Potomac Interceptor, collapsed, causing the massive spill. Initial testing revealed high levels of E. coli and other harmful bacteria near the rupture, and local governments shut down parts of the river for public use.
D.C. Water, the public utility responsible for water and sewage in the region, has been in charge of the crews cleaning up the spill and the surrounding area.
Utility officials said their latest testing involved collecting water samples five times at six different spots in Maryland, both upstream and downstream of the spill.
In a statement, D.C. Water officials said there is “no evidence of lasting harm to the river from January’s collapse.” The utility’s interim general manager, Matthew T. Brown, called the results from the expanded testing “reassuring” and said they “reconfirm what earlier testing indicated — that the river has returned to normal.”
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The post After vast sewage spill, officials say testing shows Potomac is back to health appeared first on Washington Post.
