Sewage from Potomac River spill may still leak into nearby stream after some advisories lifted: testing report
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Even after some of the recreational water advisories affecting Virginians were lifted, a new testing report from the Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN) suggested sewage from the massive Potomac River spill may still be leaking into a nearby stream.
PRKN, a nonprofit organization supporting the public's right to clean water in the Potomac River, released a new report detailing its testing on Monday, March 9 -- months after a major sewage pipe collapse released over 200 million gallons of wastewater into the river.
Though Virginians can fish and swim in parts of the river following the now-lifted recreational water advisory for part of King George County on March 5, some are concerned about lingering contamination near the spill site, which could still pose risks.
The advisory issued on Feb. 13 remains in place upstream as a precaution to prevent potential health risks from touching water or consuming fish.
MORE: Two river spills renew concerns about Virginia’s aging water infrastructure
Report finds high bacteria levels near canal infrastructure
Over two weeks, PRKN staff collected water samples at four locations along the stream that flows through a culvert and analyzed them for E. coli.
Testing suggested sewage-contaminated water may be sending bacteria levels hundreds of times above federal safety limits, discharging into the unnamed tributary of the Potomac River. The recreational safety threshold for E. coli set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is 410.
"What we were seeing was at levels of like 84,000 instead of like 410… so it was a really significant bacterial load. In fact, the kind of bacteria load that you see from raw sewage," Betsy Nicholas, president of the PRKN, told 8News.
The report found ongoing fecal contamination through a culvert beneath impounded sewage in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which runs from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Md. Investigators found the canal currently contains diverted sewage from a failure in the Potomac Interceptor.
Virginia lawmakers revive climate education bill as weather grows more extreme
Evidence suggested that sewage stored in the canal may be leaking through the culvert structure, which is polluting the tributary and contributing to unsafe bacteria levels in the Potomac River. The report called for an investigation into the sewage bypass operation.
"The continuing discharge of fecal bacteria – not including other dangerous pathogens, toxics, nutrients, and other environmental risks associated with raw sewage – is contributing to continuing contamination at unsafe levels in the Potomac River," the report states.
Conditions improving downstream
Nicholas said bacterial levels are decreasing, and many downstream areas are now at a safe recreational level, including near King George County.
However, she remains concerned about conditions closer to where the spill occurred.
"There's concern about all the sewage that got all over the ground there," Nicholas said. "So that's going to be part that needs to be part of the restoration plan."
She also emphasized a winter freeze after the collapse trapped sewage in soil, vegetation and mud around the riverbank. Some of that contamination could continue washing into nearby waterways, per the PRKN.
Ongoing monitoring efforts and infrastructure concerns
Nicholas said the PRKN has expanded monitoring efforts following the spill, adding eight more water-testing locations and continuing sampling throughout the restoration process of the river.
Staff called for action by DC Water -- the water utility recently accused of not adequately implementing safeguards to protect the river -- and both federal and state regulators to investigate the source of contamination, monitor fecal bacteria and other pollutants, assess culvert integrity and fix the pollution source to stop the discharge.
Virginia boater sues DC Water over Potomac River sewage spill
PRKN noted that high levels of E. coli contamination near the side are diminishing, though these high levels are still being detected elsewhere.
Nicholas echoed environmental advocates' sentiments, saying that the spill highlighted broader concerns about aging sewer infrastructure. She noted sewage getting into fresh water, which has happened in cities such as Richmond, is a growing issue.
"We need to be a lot more proactive on the whole -- at the federal, state [and] local level of investing in these, doing more frequent inspections, upgrades and maintenance," Nicholas said.
The report shared that the findings raise questions about the structural integrity of the culvert due to the water passage and the bypass operation to contain and prevent pollution of both the river and the environment.
Environmental and economic impacts
Although the infrastructure failure occurred on the Washington, D.C. side of the river, the Potomac forms Virginia's northern border and is widely used by residents for boating, fishing, kayaking and tourism.
Nicholas emphasized that businesses that rely on the river -- including fishing guides, recreational outfitters and tourism operators -- could face financial impacts from the spill.
"We're certainly going to keep pushing and encouraging that it should be using natural vegetation, natural creatures like freshwater mussels, to do this again with the least additional disturbance to the area, so that the ecology of the river and the C&O canal and all of the areas around it can really start their recovery," she said.
MORE: Virginia lawmakers push for action after massive Potomac sewage spill
According to Nicholas, rebuilding public confidence in the Potomac will be an important part of recovery, though she warned that the problem is not specific to the Virginia area, but rather a national issue that she hopes leaders will further invest in and protect local communities.
"We had this big sewage disaster, but we're going to make sure it gets cleaned up and cleaned up responsibly," she said. "So we want people to feel like they can trust that. And come back to the river."
