Crews are hauling away trees, brush, other vegetation and contaminated debris near where the 72-inch pipe collapsed along the Clara Barton Parkway, just inside the Capital Beltway, in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Now that D.C. health officials have lifted the recreational advisory on the Potomac River after January’s massive sewage spill, D.C Water is beginning to restore the park land damaged by the partial collapse of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line.
Crews are hauling away trees, brush, other vegetation and contaminated debris near where the 72-inch pipe collapsed along the Clara Barton Parkway, just inside the Capital Beltway, in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Repairs continue on the damaged section of the pipeline, while a bypass system is diverting sewage from the Potomac Interceptor into a short stretch of the C&O Canal to travel past the repair site, then back into the sewer system. The repairs could take another two months.
In a news release, D.C. Water said the rehabilitation and environmental restoration plan was developed with input from the National Park Service, U.S. Army Corps, Environmental Protection Agency and the District’s and Maryland’s environmental agencies.
Once the repairs to the Potomac Interceptor are complete, the bypass pumping system will no longer be needed, and rehabilitation will begin on the stretch of the canal that is temporarily carrying sewage.
Immediately after the Jan. 19 collapse, approximately 240 million gallons of sewage flowed over the C&O Canal National Historical Park, near Lock 10. Sewage plastered vegetation and soil near the spill and on adjacent wetlands and stream corridors, which will be addressed during the rehabilitation, according to the water company.
D.C. Water is adding another water quality sampling site at Sycamore Island, in addition to two locations on Minnie’s Island — two small islands in the Potomac River.
The Environmental Restoration Plan and the National Park Service Special Use Permit are posted on D.C. Water’s dedicated page for the Potomac Interceptor repairs.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.