While other local jurisdictions have lifted recreational water advisories related to the January Potomac River sewage spill, Montgomery County health officials say the river is still not safe for recreation, according to a Thursday press release from the Maryland Department of Health.<\/p>\n
Montgomery County\u2019s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued a recreational advisory<\/a> on Jan. 19, about 10 days after the collapse of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line near Cabin John, warning residents to avoid contact with the water.<\/p>\n The county\u2019s continuing advisory leaves future outdoor recreation on the river uncertain<\/a> as temperatures begin to warm.<\/p>\n Those impacted include local kayakers with the Potomac Whitewater Racing Center in Brookmont who have not been able to return to their normal training area in a feeder canal on the river near Lock 6 of the C&O Canal National Historical Park since the spill. The Potomac Whitewater Racing Center<\/a> is known for producing world-class athletes who have competed and won medals for the U.S. during the Olympics and world championship competitions.<\/p>\n The Potomac Interceptor collapse occurred just outside of Cabin John and off of the Clara Barton Parkway near I-495. DC Water, the utility that manages the line, estimates a total of 243.5 million gallons of wastewater spilled onto the banks of the Potomac River in Montgomery County and into the waterway known as the \u201cnation\u2019s river.\u201d<\/p>\n The interceptor normally carries about 60 million gallons of sewage per day to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Southeast D.C., the\u00a0largest treatment plant in the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sean O\u2019Donnell, the county\u2019s deputy chief of Public Health Services at the health and human services department, said Wednesday in a statement to Bethesda Today that the county is monitoring the conditions in the river as well as bacterial testing data conducted by DC Water and the Maryland Department of the Environment along the county\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n \u201cCurrent testing levels, despite fluctuations, remain significantly higher than [Environmental Protection Agency] swimming limits,\u201d O\u2019Donnell said. \u201cWe will continue to evaluate water testing as well as progress on remediating the contaminated land and riverbank areas surrounding the spill, and update the local advisory once levels are consistently safe in our area.\u201d<\/p>\n Upstream geopolymer lining in the Potomac Interceptor is nearly complete. Here\u2019s what it looks like now.<\/p>\n Next up: the downstream section. Once both are lined, emergency repairs will be complete. pic.twitter.com\/8MnJL796jJ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 DC Water (@dcwater) March 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n According to the state department of health release, elevated E. Coli levels in the Potomac River are \u201cexpected given that the spill site occurred on federal land in Montgomery County.\u201d E. coli is a\u00a0water quality parameter<\/a>\u00a0that indicates fecal material in the water.<\/p>\n County health officials continue to monitor the site, water quality sampling data to determine if additional advisories and action are needed, the release said.<\/p>\n DC Water crews are working on emergency repairs to the damaged section of the pipe. According to a Thursday blog post<\/a> from the utility, crews have been reinforcing the upstream section of the pipe with geopolymer lining to \u201chelp restore the pipe\u2019s structural integrity\u201d and plan to then add the lining to the downstream portion of the pipe.<\/p>\n In addition, environmental remediation in the immediate area near the spill has begun, according to DC Water, and the first phase of the clean-up could take about one to two months. The first phase focuses on removing debris, brush and soil.<\/p>\n Recent water quality data from DC Water at Swainson Island, a Potomac River island near the sewage spill site, indicates that elevated and unsafe levels of E. Coli remain in the water.<\/p>\n Samples taken at Swainson Island from the first four days of March were reported to show E. coli levels more than five and a half times the EPA\u2019s standard for safe swimming, according to DC Water data.<\/p>\n Environmental restoration work is underway near Clara Barton Parkway. Our crews have been on site clearing debris and stabilizing the drainage channel. Phase 1 of the environmental rehabilitation will take 1\u20132 months and focuses on removing soil, brush, and debris. pic.twitter.com\/WX57ienzqi<\/a><\/p>\n