The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil complaint against the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) and the city, alleging violations of the Clean Water Act after a January sewer collapse released more than 200 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Potomac River.
According to the complaint, filed on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), federal officials are seeking financial penalties along with mandated system upgrades, including sewer assessments, rehabilitation projects, and pollution mitigation efforts.
The filing centers on the collapse of the Potomac Interceptor, a major sewage line that carries as much as 60 million gallons of wastewater daily from parts of the District, Maryland, and Northern Virginia to a pump station in Washington. The break occurred Jan. 19 near Lock 12 in the C&O Canal National Historical Park in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Federal officials allege that DC Water failed to properly operate and maintain its sewer system in a way that prevents untreated sewage from entering waterways and areas where people could be exposed. The complaint calls for, at a minimum, the development of an enhanced operations and maintenance plan covering all sewer lines.
“DC Water’s failure to maintain the Potomac Interceptor resulted in raw sewage flowing into the Potomac River and the surrounding environment, posing a direct risk to public health,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “As cities grow and infrastructure ages, cities must invest in their wastewater system to prevent such catastrophes.”
After the collapse, crews installed diversion pumps between Jan. 21 and Jan. 24 to reroute wastewater around the damaged section. Beginning Jan. 24, DC Water used part of the C&O Canal to contain the diverted flow before reintroducing it downstream.
“This river means a lot to me as well,” DC Water CEO David Gadis said during a February forum. “I live on the Potomac, so I have a vested interest in this as well, and I want to see the Potomac come back. I want to make sure that we take care of [it]. It’s a river that all of us share and love.”
The system has faced repeated disruptions. High-powered pumps clogged with debris such as rags and wipes, forcing shutdowns for cleaning. On Feb. 8 alone, officials reported that about 500,000 gallons of sewage were discharged into the Potomac River when multiple pumps went offline.
Officials said federal response efforts escalated after President Donald Trump declared a FEMA emergency. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deployed to assist with mitigation, including building stormwater diversions to prevent runoff from encountering sewage-contaminated areas.
In total, the complaint states that the collapse led to the unauthorized release of more than 200 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River.
“This complaint,” Gustafson said, “seeks to secure DC Water’s commitment to properly maintain its foundational sewage infrastructure.”
