Moore Administration Pushes Back Against Trump Claims On Potomac Sewage Leak

By Christine Condon, Maryland Matters

February 17, 2026

Nearly a month after a massive sewer pipe ruptured, spewing millions of gallons of untreated waste into the Potomac River, President Donald Trump (R) weighed in Monday, saying the “federal government has no choice but to step in” and address the problem.

For once, Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) administration may agree with the president — the federal government has no choice but to step in, a spokesperson said, because it’s been responsible for years for oversight of the pipe that ruptured.

“Apparently the Trump administration hadn’t gotten the memo that they’re actually supposed to be in charge here,” said Ammar Moussa, the spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Maryland has been taking what steps it can to respond to the spill since day one, he said.

The Potomac Interceptor, as the roughly 60-year-old pipe is known, sits on the Maryland side of the Potomac River near Cabin John, but it falls under the jurisdiction of DC Water, an independent authority of the District of Columbia.

The pipe failed on Jan. 19, and crews have redirected the flow of sewage away from the Potomac and into a lock of the C&O Canal. But overflow events have taken place since then, sending additional gallons of waste into the river, including after pump failures on Super Bowl Sunday.

Maryland lawmakers were told Friday that the break has spilled an estimated 243 million gallons of sewage into the Potomac River, although the worst damage came in the first five days, before crews were able to contain the flow to the section of the C&O Canal.

“There is a massive Ecological Disaster unfolding in the Potomac River as a result of the Gross Mismanagement of Local Democrat Leaders, particularly, Governor Wes Moore, of Maryland,” Trump wrote in a social media post Monday afternoon.

Progress at Potomac sewer collapse, DC Water says, but overflow risk remains

Trump said he was directing the federal government, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to respond to the leak and provide “Management, Direction, and Coordination.”

Moussa fired back, saying “The President has his facts wrong — again,” and that the Trump administration has “failed to act.” He pointed to Friday’s briefing for Maryland lawmakers, which the Environmental Protection Agency declined an invitation to attend, according to Del. Linda Foley (D-Montgomery), chair of the Non-Energy Utilities Subcommittee of the House Environment and Transportation Committee.

In a statement to Foley, EPA said it “must respectfully decline the invitation. DC Water and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) are leading the response and public communications, and they are best positioned to brief the Subcommittee on operational details, timelines, impacts, and corrective actions.”

The statement said EPA’s role “has been limited to specific support activities within our authorities,” and that its only plan was to set up a webpage “that summarizes our limited response actions and provides links to information from DC Water and MDE.”

The Maryland Department of the Environment does not regulate DC Water, but it does have a role to play in the clean-up, agency officials told lawmakers Friday, since the agency has purview over the river, which abuts Maryland.

The agency closed the shellfish harvest area on the river, for instance, and has responded to the site for inspections since “day one,” said MDE Deputy Secretary Adam Ortiz during Friday’s briefing.

“Our roles are: To conduct frequent inspections of the site and related cleanup efforts,” Ortiz said. “Looking ahead: To review and approve restoration plans involving the canal, and all the area, including reconnecting the pipe in time.”

MDE is also watching over Maryland’s drinking water intake from the river, which Ortiz said Friday is not affected by the leak.

Local health departments in Maryland have also issued advisories warning locals against coming into contact with the water amid high bacteria levels near the scene of the rupture.

“Maryland officials were on site within hours of the leak to do our part to coordinate the response, and ensure the public was aware and protected,” Moussa’s statement said. “If the federal government is just now showing up to take action, we will work collaboratively — as we always do — to be responsive and keep the public informed about the federal government’s plan to remediate the damage.”

During his remarks Friday, DC Water CEO David Gadis indicated that the EPA was also onsite, in addition to Maryland and District of Columbia officials.

“We’ve had great meetings with EPA in coming out over the past couple of days. They will continue to be out on-site and working with us,” Gadis said. “A lot of jurisdictions have a lot of interest in what we’re doing, and so we’re going to make sure that we do the right thing.”