Historic sewage spill on the Potomac River is a wake up call that not enough is being done.
The water and sewer systems we rely on are out of sight and out of mind. Water comes out of our taps. Our toilets flush. We don’t often think about these systems that are part of our everyday lives. But when catastrophe happens and water doesn’t flow out of our taps or sewage is released into our water, we realize how vulnerable these systems are.
Waterkeeper programs monitor local waterways, often focusing on bacteria to assess the safety of recreational waters. They provide a critical public service by often being the first to alert the public and local agencies that there is a problem – and often being the first to respond to a sewage spill. They will tell you that a major cause of bacteria contamination is aging and underfunded sewer infrastructure.
You’ve seen the headlines. In January, an estimated 243 million gallons of untreated sewage went directly into the Potomac River after the 60-year old Potomac Interceptor Pipe collapsed. An additional 600,000 gallons of sewage flowed into the Potomac on Super Bowl Sunday due to a huge blockage caused by “flushable wipes.” An investigation showed that DC Water identified urgent infrastructure repairs in 2018 – but due to bureaucratic delays, these repairs were not completed before the catastrophic pipeline collapse.
Baltimore’s aging sanitary sewer system causes millions of gallons of raw sewage to enter waterways each year. And yet, Baltimore City’s consent decree to fix the sewage overflows and leaking pipes is being modified to extend the deadline to 2046.
It’s not just urban areas as a recent 30,000 gallon sewage spill along the Choptank River illustrates. Many historic towns on Maryland’s Eastern Shore operate with limited budgets, aging systems, and incomplete or outdated maps of underground infrastructure. These challenges make it harder to detect leaks, prevent overflows, and respond quickly when problems arise. Shoreline septic systems, many of which are aging and poorly maintained, are located in areas with high water tables and frequent flooding. The result is not one catastrophic event, but a steady pattern of smaller, often unnoticed failures — what can feel like pollution by a thousand cuts.
Aging and vulnerable water and sewer infrastructure is a nationwide problem. The EPA’s 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs Assessment reported that nationwide there needs to be a $630.1 billion investment in clean water infrastructure. The wastewater sector needs a $345.7 billion investment (55% of total). Slightly over 40% of reported wastewater needs are for installing new or repairing existing pipes and pump stations. DC’s sewage infrastructure is underfunded by $1.9 billion.
Climate induced weather events put extreme pressures on water and sewer infrastructure. In our region alone we’ve seen Tropical Storm Lee, Superstorm Sandy, the 2014 6-inch rain event that led to the CSX rail line collapse in Baltimore, the 2016 storm that flooded Ellicott City, and the multiple storms in 2018 – the wettest year on record – that flooded Ellicott City and the Frederick Road corridor. It’s critical that hydraulic models used to inform project selection and prioritization for water infrastructure upgrades and repairs need to use the most up to date precipitation data. Unfortunately, many do not.
Bacteria contamination poses a direct public health threat and negative economic impact. As an example in St. Mary’s County, in October 2021, the St. George Island Wastewater Pump Station unlawfully discharged approximately 25,600 gallons of untreated sewage into St. George Creek, contaminating oysters harvested for human consumption and causing severe illness throughout the area. This discharge was part of a pattern of ongoing sewage discharges over a period of 5 years that led to a notice of intent to sue in 2022 by Potomac Riverkeeper Network resulting in a settlement in 2024.
The historic sewage spill on the Potomac River is a wake up call that not enough is being done to protect public health and our natural resources. It’s urgent that we have the long overdue conversation about aging sewer and water infrastructure and how we need to prioritize safety. More needs to be done to prevent an even more catastrophic event that could contaminate local drinking water sources – as well as prevent sewage spills and leaks that happen all of the time. The increased frequency of extreme weather events and rising sea levels make it even more urgent to act.
We urge you to get involved with your local Waterkeeper to learn what your local jurisdictions and states are doing (or not doing) and funding. Help them demand accelerated investment in aging wastewater systems across the region and continuous water quality monitoring and public reporting to protect communities. You can also take on-the-water action by volunteering to monitor water quality and be part of the important public safety net provided by Waterkeepers.
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