Published on Feb. 13, 2026, 8:59 PM
The spill has dumped nearly 1 billion litres of wastewater into the Potomac River since the middle of January
A large sewer line collapse near Washington, D.C., has dumped more than 900 million litres (243 million gallons) of wastewater into the Potomac River basin over the past several weeks.
This is one of the largest wastewater spills in American history.
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Major wastewater spill near Washington, D.C.
The incident began on Jan. 19 when a large sewer line known as the Potomac Interceptor (PI) broke beneath a roadway along the Potomac River about 14 km upstream from the heart of Washington, D.C. The break released a steady stream of untreated wastewater into the local environment.
DC Water said in a release on its website that “the PI carries about 60 million gallons [227 million litres] of wastewater daily” from as far away as Washington-Dulles Airport.
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Wastewater continued flowing from the broken pipe for five days until crews were able to implement a bypass system.
Officials estimate that more than 900 million litres (240 million gallons) of wastewater have spilled into the environment, including the river itself, since the initial break.