Washington Mayor declares Potomac sewage spill emergency, requests federal support

Washington, Feb 19
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared the month-long Potomac River sewage spill a local public emergency to request federal support.



On January 19, a section of Potomac Interceptor, a major sewage pipeline operated by DC Water -- the main water utility that serves Washington -- collapsed, releasing over 200 million gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River. The US capital and surrounding areas have been grappling with the spill.

The mayor on Wednesday (local time) requested the federal government to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish regular interagency coordination calls among federal agencies, affected states, and the District to maintain shared situational awareness and align federal assistance.

She also requested the federal government provide additional federal technical and testing assistance for expanded water quality monitoring, environmental modelling and engineering support, as needed.

In a post on social media platform X on Wednesday, the mayor said that the request seeks 100 per cent "reimbursement" for costs incurred by the District and DC Water.

The Potomac River runs through Washington and into the Chesapeake Bay, which then connects to the Atlantic Ocean. DC Water officials have said the region's drinking water remains safe to drink.

The latest request from the mayor came as President Donald Trump recently criticised local leaders for the handling of the spill.

In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said DC, Maryland and Virginia officials "must get to work, IMMEDIATELY" to address the Potomac sewage spill.

"If they can't do the job, they have to call me and ask, politely, to get it fixed," Trump said.

An alert on the website of DC Water said that repair work "continues" and that "a bypass established five days after the overflow occurred continues to successfully divert wastewater around the collapse site and back into the pipe further downstream."