March 30, 2026 Update — You may be wondering what’s the latest about the sewage spill in the Potomac River. More information is available on the websites for the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The summary information provided below was obtained from these websites.
Summary — On January 19, 2026, a sewer line in Maryland collapsed, resulting in the release of more than 200 million gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River. Within days, an emergency rerouting of the sewage was established, but additional sewage overflows into the Potomac were reported in early February. On March 14, 2026, DC Water completed repairs to the sewer line, so it is now functioning as usual.
The DC Department of Energy & Environment has launched a water monitoring dashboard that presents bacteria data from DC Water, DC Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE), Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and the Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN) with University of Maryland (UMD).
Water quality monitoring indicates that bacteria concentrations in the Potomac River outside of the immediate spill site are at levels acceptable for all recreational water use. Thus, on March 17, 2026, VDH lifted its recreational advisory along the Virginia side of the Potomac River. However, Montgomery County, Maryland, is maintaining an advisory for the land areas impacted by the sewage overflow and portions of the river within 200 feet of the Maryland shoreline between Swainson Island and Lock 8. People and pets are advised to avoid contact recreational activities in and on the Potomac River within this advisory area.
Based on monitoring results, the VDH concluded that Virginia shellfish growing areas near the Potomac River were not impacted by the sewage spill.
Although the Potomac is used as a source of drinking water for Fairfax, Va. and Washington D.C., the water intakes are located upstream of the spill. Therefore, the drinking water for Fairfax and Washington D.C. was not impacted by the spill.
