The Potomac River is officially safe to be around again in D.C.
On Monday, the city lifted the advisory that was imposed in the wake of the January pipe collapse that resulted in more than 240 million gallons of sewage spilling into the river. The decision to lift the warning – which told residents to keep themselves and their pets away from the water – was based on results from weekly water-quality testing by local authorities that showed E. coli levels in D.C. holding at safe levels since mid-February.
Of course, the removal of the advisory doesn’t mean the Potomac River is suddenly safely swimmable or fishable. E. coli levels often jump after heavy storms, which cause the city's combined sewer system to overflow. Existing city law and regulations prohibit swimming in most cases and set guidelines for which fish can be safely caught and consumed. But it does give the green light for other river activities to resume, including kayaking and rowing.
Still, as of Friday Montgomery County continued to advise that people avoid the river around the site of the pipe collapse (which is about four miles north of the city). And the Virginia Department of Health is still reviewing whether to lift its own warning.
D.C. Water officials say that there hasn’t been another sewage overflow into the Potomac since February 8, and they have continued to successfully divert tens of millions of gallons of sewage around the break site. Meanwhile, repair work continues on the Potomac Interceptor pipe itself; officials say they should be able to complete the initial fixes by mid-March, after which they will start a longer-term project to rehabilitate a longer portion of the pipe in that area.
D.C. is also starting daily water-quality testing at six sites (three along the Potomac, and three along the Anacostia) this week. The increase from the previous weekly schedule comes as the federal government has stepped in to help, with the Environmental Protection Agency lending lab space to assess water samples and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers working alongside D.C. Water crews at the break site in Maryland.
Environmentalists say that lifting the advisory alone won’t be enough to change the public’s perception of how safe the Potomac is in the wake of the sewage spill.
“To convince people to come back and use the river, I can’t tell you what a gut punch it is that we’ve lost that,” said Dean Naujoks of the Potomac Riverkeepers Network to a D.C. Council committee on Monday morning. “The perception, regardless of what the water quality data says, is so big and important.”
In addition to calls for long-term monitoring at the spill site, activists are also calling on D.C. Water to launch an independent investigation into what caused the pipe collapse and whether other portions of the 54-mile-long Potomac Interceptor could be similarly vulnerable. The utility has a $625 million, 10-year plan to rehabilitate portions of the pipe (which dates back to the 1960s), but is now facing scrutiny over whether parts of the projects should be fast-tracked.
“The state and federal government must commit to preventing the next disaster before it begins,” said Chris Weiss of the D.C. Environmental Network. “This includes accelerated inspection and replacement of high-risk sewer infrastructure, independent engineering oversight, climate resilient system design, and enforceable investment timelines that cannot be deferred until failure occurs. Public infrastructure that safeguards drinking water and ecosystems must be treated as essential — because it is.”
Environmental groups also want more details on long-term environmental remediation plans, as well as specific details on what financial assistance could be made available to businesses that rely on the river.
Naujoks told the council that commercial fishermen and charter captains have already told him that they worry their businesses will be negatively impacted by how people view the Potomac in the wake of the spill. “It’s the perception of the river that has been damaged,” he said. “All of those businesses will be impacted.”
Martin is a longtime reporter and editor in D.C. He formerly worked for WAMU 88.5 and DCist.com, and has contributed to the Washington City Paper and other publications. He's been in D.C. for 25 years, and tries to ride his bike everywhere he can.
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