Trump: Federal Government to Step in Regarding Potomac Sewage Spill
By • February 17, 2026 0 489
A large sewage pipe spilled into the Potomac River, and subsequently testing showed dangerously high E.coli levels in the area. On January 19, an enormous underground sewer line broke, dumping 300 million gallons of sewage into the Potomac River. D.C. water crews managed to divert most of it into the empty C&O Canal, where it will make its way back into the sewage system. As of late January, river water at the spill site shows E.coli levels a whopping 12,000 times higher than the limit considered safe for contact with humans. At Fletcher’s Boathouse, test results were 60 times higher.
In response to this, President Trump announced yesterday via the social media site Truth Social that federal authorities will respond to the spill. The White House did not respond to questions about what that spill response from the federal government would warrant. In his post, Trump singled out Governor Wes Moore (D-Md.), saying he was incapable of handling the situation.
Virginia Department of Health spokesperson Brookie Crawford said there was another spill on Saturday, February 7, when D.C. water crews worked on the initial sewage. Crawford warned that Virginia should expect the potential for additional spills as D.C. officials work to fix the pipe. Emergency repairs should take approximately four to six weeks.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office declined to comment on Trump’s remarks.
Even though Trump said in his social media post that “State and local authorities have failed to request needed emergency help,” D.C. Water Chief David Gadis said in a statement that the agency is coordinating with federal partners regarding the spill.
The D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment announced that D.C. Water has started daily bacteria monitoring at six locations and as of late February, it is planning on doing fish and wildlife surveys to research how much the spill affected the ecosystem.
