Virginia lawmakers push for action after massive Potomac sewage spill
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Virginia lawmakers are pushing for action about a month after a major sewage line along the Potomac River collapsed, releasing millions of gallons of raw sewage into the river.
In a letter to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 11 National Capital Region Representatives are urging the federal government to fully fund the repair and modernization of not only critical water infrastructure across the country, but also the Potomac Interceptor.
In late January, a massive pipeline collapse released 200 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River, prompting health advisories warning residents to avoid contact with contaminated water.
MORE: Two river spills renew concerns about Virginia’s aging water infrastructure
In the letter, state lawmakers, including U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Eugene Vindman (D-VA) and James Walkinshaw (D-VA), along with other delegates in Maryland and Washington, D.C., requested funding for both the rehabilitation of the Potomac Interceptor and the reauthorization of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
The delegate emphasized the need for action to prevent future environmental crises.
“Congress must play a role in solving this crisis, investing in our nation’s wastewater infrastructure, and preventing this and similar crises from recurring. The failure of the Potomac Interceptor is an acute crisis for our region…” wrote the members. “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that ‘our water infrastructure is aging and in need of repair to withstand the challenges of the 21st century.’ EPA’s most recent Clean Watersheds Needs Survey found that our wastewater infrastructure will require more than $630 billion in repairs and updates over the next two decades, far outpacing local and state capacity.”
The members emphasized the need for congressional action to address aging and vulnerable water infrastructure, which is a top concern for environmentalists. The lawmakers also highlighted that without immediate investments, similar environmental issues will likely happen once again.
According to the EPA, Virginia receives millions in federal wastewater funding. The agency allocated $94 million for water infrastructure in 2024 and a $47.5 million award via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2023.
Last week, environmentalists in the city of Richmond called for change to wastewater and sewage systems to protect the James River following the Potomac spill. James River Keeper Tom Dunlap told 8News that this particular spill "isn't just a city of Richmond problem."
Dunlap said 3.6 billion gallons of untreated storm and wastewater entered the James River last year -- 10% of that combined water is untreated wastewater, which includes gray water and sewage.
As environmentalists sound the alarm on the Commonwealth's aging infrastructure, Sen. Richard Stuart (R-King George) urged the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to take appropriate steps to address potential health risks in a letter he sent to State Health Commissioner Cameron Webb on Wednesday, Feb. 18. He pushed for the VDH to conduct water testing after the Potomac River spill.
In his letter, Stuart demanded immediate, proactive water testing and increased transparency regarding the millions of gallons of sewage spilled in the Potomac River.
"While I appreciate the interjurisdictional complexities, I share my constituent’s concern that this response is deeply concerning," Stuart wrote in his Feb. 18 letter to Webb. "Virginians who fish, crab, boat and recreate on the Potomac deserve proactive protection and transparency, not a declaration that no testing will occur because another state holds primary authority."
Stuart also emphasized that many creeks and tributaries branching off the Potomac are "unquestionably Virginia waters," directly impacting the health of local shoreline communities and marine resources.
“VDH will not conduct water sampling," the department wrote in a Saturday, Feb. 14 letter. "The agency does not operate a freshwater bacterial monitoring program for recreational waters, and the Potomac River falls under Maryland’s jurisdiction for water quality oversight."
Stuart said that the state must not be "relegated to a bystander role in a crisis of this magnitude."
8News reached out to VDH and the Virginia Department of Quality (DEQ) to see whether they are conducting various samplings, but has not yet received a response. This article will be updated if and when we hear back.
