Federal and state officials are now tag-teaming DC’s water utility over January’s massive sewage spill into the Potomac River. The Justice Department on Monday sued the District of Columbia and DC Water in federal court, alleging years of ignored warnings and neglect before a key section of the 54-mile Potomac Interceptor pipe collapsed on Jan. 19, dumping more than 240 million gallons of untreated wastewater into the river, per the Washington Post. Maryland’s attorney general, Anthony Brown, filed a separate suit in state court on the same day, seeking penalties for discharging E. coli, mercury, and a dozen other pollutants into the river.
The Hill reports that Brown is hoping to recoup up to $10,000 per day for each violation, as well as damages tied to the spill. Federal lawyers say inspections as far back as 2011 showed widespread corrosion, per the Post. By late 2024, one segment of the pipeline had lost more than 5 inches of its wall, with failure deemed “imminent,” yet major repairs hadn’t begun. The DOJ suit accuses DC Water of violating the Clean Water Act and demands civil penalties, plus stronger maintenance plans.
DC Water, which was already pursuing a $625 million rehabilitation of the 60-year-old line, says environmental reviews have slowed work, insists it moved quickly to contain the leak, and notes that water quality tests now show downstream conditions back to normal. Maryland officials say they’re in court to ensure the utility “make[s] it right for Marylanders.” “As cities grow and infrastructure ages, cities must invest in their wastewater system to prevent such catastrophes,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson added in a statement, per the AP.
