Sewer Pipe Failure Unleashes Massive Spill (Image Credits: Upload.wikimedia.org)
Washington, D.C. – A ruptured sewer line dumped vast quantities of untreated wastewater into the Potomac River, exposing millions to heightened health risks after authorities dramatically understated bacterial contamination levels.
Sewer Pipe Failure Unleashes Massive Spill
Late on January 19, 2026, a 72-inch diameter sewer pipe known as the Potomac Interceptor collapsed near the Clara Barton Parkway in Montgomery County, Maryland.[1][2]
The incident released an estimated 40 million gallons of sewage daily into the river, equivalent to roughly 66 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of untreated waste.[1] Officials activated bypass pumping systems to reroute flows to the Blue Plains treatment plant, but contamination persisted…