President Donald Trump has ordered a coordinated federal response after officials reported that more than 243 million gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater overflowed into the Potomac River, according to statements from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the White House.
The overflows, attributed to a combination of aging infrastructure and heavy precipitation events, have raised water quality concerns for communities that rely on the Potomac for drinking water and recreation. The affected stretch of the river supports multiple municipal water systems serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
In a directive issued this week, Trump called for increased cooperation among federal agencies — including the EPA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Homeland Security — to assess the overflow’s impacts, accelerate infrastructure upgrades, and provide technical assistance to state and local authorities working to address the problem.
He also blamed local Democratic officials including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore for failing to adequately response to such a major environmental disaster.
“There is a massive Ecological Disaster unfolding in the Potomac River as a result of the Gross Mismanagement of Local Democrat Leaders, particularly, Governor Wes Moore, of Maryland,” Trump said this week.
“A sewer line breach in Maryland has caused millions of gallons of raw sewage to be dumped into the Potomac River, a result of incompetent Local and State Management of Essential Waste Management Systems,” he said, adding Moore “is the same Governor who cannot rebuild a Bridge.”
Trump said it was “clear Local Authorities cannot adequately handle this calamity,” and he ordered federal involvement even though he acknowledged that “state and local authorities” had not requested “emergency help.”
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The spillage started on January 19, after a “72-inch section of the Potomac Interceptor collapsed.”
“Therefore, I am directing Federal Authorities to immediately provide all necessary Management, Direction, and Coordination to protect the Potomac, the Water Supply in the Capital Region, and our treasured National Resources in our Nation’s Capital City,” Trump said.
Officials said the coordinated effort will include enhanced monitoring of river conditions, expanded data sharing between federal and local partners, and expedited review of funding applications for sewage system improvements.
The EPA noted that combined sewer systems in older urban areas can discharge untreated water when rainfall exceeds system capacity, a challenge for many cities across the United States. Federal officials emphasized that long-term infrastructure investments will be needed to reduce the frequency and severity of future overflows.
Environmental and public health advocacy groups have called for more rapid action to protect water quality and prevent contamination of downstream supplies, while local officials have stressed the need for additional funding and planning support from both state and federal governments.
While the “drinking water supply has not been affected,” the Virginia Department of Health issued a statement “advising Virginia residents to avoid recreational water activities in the Potomac River,” like swimming, tubing, or even kayaking.
In a press release from DC Water on February 6, it was estimated that “approximately 243 million gallons of wastewater has overflowed from the collapse site.”
“Based on flow monitoring data collected before and after interim bypass pumping was activated, DC Water estimates that approximately 243 million gallons of wastewater has overflowed from the collapse site,” DC Water said. “The vast majority of this volume, approximately 194 million gallons, occurred within the first five days, prior to the overflows being significantly reduced through bypass pumping operations.”
An open letter from DC Water CEO David Gaddis described the sewage spillage incident as “deeply troubling,” and went on to explain how the agency was “alerted to the collapse when security cameras ‘detected unusual activity,’” Breitbart News reported.
