Ahead of Schedule, EPA Fully Achieves Potomac River Recovery Goals
Federal response to collapse complete in time for America 250 celebrations.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has accomplished its remediation of the Potomac Interceptor collapse and fully demobilized the federal presence onsite, finishing months ahead of upcoming America 250 festivities and delivering on the agency’s commitment to restore the Potomac to pre-collapse conditions.
On March 14, wastewater flow was restored to the Potomac Interceptor a full week ahead of schedule, allowing ongoing work to focus on environmental remediation. Led by EPA, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), National Park Service (NPS), and other federal partners, remediation activities included:
- Water and soil sampling;
- Raking and removing contaminated material, including sewage-impacted soils;
- Covering disturbed soil with seed mix and erosion-control blankets;
- Removing branches, fallen trees, brush and debris; and
- Flushing the C&O Canal with fresh water from the Potomac.
DC Water continues targeted soil remediation between Locks 10 and 11 of the C&O Canal, with completion expected by the end of May.
“From the moment President Trump received the formal request for federal assistance, he instantly deployed his administration to do everything in our power to help resolve this sewage crisis,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “EPA answered the call, and today I'm proud to announce that our remediation work is complete months ahead of schedule, in plenty of time for America 250 celebrations.”
“From the onset of this response, we made clear EPA would be on the ground, working at full speed, until the Potomac Interceptor site and surrounding area were fully remediated,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water and Senior Response Officer Jessica Kramer. “Thanks to President Trump’s decisive action and leadership and a coordinated effort across federal agencies, we kept that promise and restored the Potomac River to pre-collapse conditions for the enjoyment of residents and visitors to our nation’s capital region this summer.”
“This milestone is a testament to the effective collaboration with local agencies, EPA and other federal partners – fully leveraging the capabilities of subject matter experts to support locally-led recovery efforts,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Mark O’Hanlon. “Our expedited approach to the response and synchronization across all levels of government was key to completing this critical work ahead of schedule.”
“For more than 165 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has ensured the National Capital Region receives safe water from the Potomac River through the Washington Aqueduct. The systematic interagency response to the Potomac Interceptor collapse was essential to protecting local communities and maintaining the integrity of this critical infrastructure,” said Col. Francis Pera, Commander, USACE Baltimore District. “This milestone proves that dedicated professionals across all levels of government can solve the nation’s most complex challenges through collaboration.”
“Progress like this does not happen by accident. It comes from steady coordination, shared purpose and hard work by every partner involved,” said National Park Service Regional Director for the National Capital Region Jennifer T. Nersesian. “Together, we are caring for these lands and waters, supporting rehabilitation and serving visitors, neighboring communities and the American public with urgency, care and a common commitment.”
Background
The Potomac Interceptor collapse resulted in at least 240 million gallons of raw, untreated sewage discharging into the Potomac River. Upon President Trump receiving DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s request for federal assistance, the White House assigned EPA as the lead federal response agency.
Throughout the repair and remediation process, EPA actively coordinated with partners at all levels to ensure appropriate and expeditious measures were utilized to protect public health and prevent additional overflows until the pipe was repaired and the Potomac Interceptor became fully functional again in mid-March.
On March 16, the agency assumed responsibility for water quality sampling previously conducted by the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). The daily sampling results were processed at EPA’s Environmental Science Center located at Fort Meade, Maryland. The results for each day’s sampling were evaluated and quality assured before being posted publicly on DOEE’s Potomac Interceptor Monitoring webpage.
In addition to water quality and soil sampling, EPA and its federal partners assisted on the ground, providing stormwater diversion and management infrastructure, site remediation work, and general technical assistance. All of these environmental remediation activities were concluded by May 6.