Potomac River | FFXnow

Great Falls boater sues over Potomac River sewage spill, while report finds possible leaks

Published March 10, 2026 at 3:00PM

A warning sign at the site of a massive pipe rupture, as sewage flows into the Potomac River, right, in Glen Echo, Md., Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

The fallout from the January sewer collapse that dumped over 200 million gallons of wastewater into the Potomac River continues to pile up, bringing a new lawsuit and a report that suggests the river might still be getting contaminated.

A Great Falls resident filed a class action lawsuit against DC Water on Friday (March 6) in the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, calling for the utility to compensate himself and other individuals “whose property interests in and use and enjoyment of the Potomac River … have been impaired by [the] Defendant’s conduct.”

News

Va. still warning against recreation on Potomac River in Fairfax County

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 6, 2026 at 8:30AM

Kayakers on Potomac River at Great Falls Park (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Though DC Water has lifted its advisory warning against recreational activities on the Potomac River, Virginia health officials are remaining cautious after millions of gallons of raw sewage spilled into the water earlier this year.

The Virginia Department of Health announced yesterday (Thursday) that it has lifted a recreational water advisory for the river from Chain Bridge (Glebe Road) in Arlington to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge in King George County, but it remains in place for a 4.7-mile stretch upstream from Chain Bridge to the American Legion Bridge (I-495) in Fairfax County.

Countywide

Residents told to stop flushing wipes as Potomac River sewage cleanup continues

By Angela Woolsey

Published February 18, 2026 at 1:45PM

Crews are working on a bypass system to divert wastewater from the Potomac River after a sewer line collapse in Maryland (via DC Water)

Please stop flushing wipes down the toilet, even if they’re labeled “flushable,” Fairfax County said in a recent message to community members.

The county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services urged residents late last week to avoid flushing anything other than toilet paper after a mass of non-disposable wipes clogged a regional sewer pipeline, exacerbating overflows into the Potomac River.

Countywide

Sewage spill in Potomac River not affecting Fairfax Water supply, utility says

By Emily Leayman and Associated Press

Published January 26, 2026 at 2:45PM

A warning sign at the site of a massive pipe rupture, as sewage flows into the Potomac River, right, in Glen Echo, Md., Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

A sewage spill in the Potomac River northwest of D.C. last week has not affected drinking water in Fairfax County, the local water utility says.

The spill occurred in Montgomery County, Maryland, along Clara Barton Parkway, which hugs the northern edge of the Potomac River near Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park. The spill was caused by a DC Water sewer pipe that collapsed late Monday, Jan. 19, shooting sewage out of the ground and into the river.