New Tests Reveal Potomac River 'Healthy' After Sewer Line Collapse

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Tests on samples pulled from the Potomac River have confirmed the waterway is healthy months after a sewer line collapse caused a sewage spill.

DC Water, which owns and operates the sewer line that runs through part of Montgomery County, said in a Wednesday release that it conducted multiple tests for more than six months.

Water samples were taken upstream and downstream of the overflow site and regularly tested for traces of E. coli.

After advisories were lifted because bacteria levels returned to normal, officials renewed testing in August "to get a broader picture of the river's health," they said in the release.

The latest round of tests analyzed a variety of factors, such as oxygen levels, nutrients and metals. Officials took samples five times across six locations in Maryland.

Related:

• MD Suit Targets DC Water Over Potomac Sewage Spill
• Repairs To Potomac Interceptor Officially Complete

"We know many in the community, especially people who use the river, have been concerned or had questions," DC Water Interim General Manager Matthew T. Brown said in a statement.

"That is why we did more testing. These results are reassuring. They reconfirm what earlier testing indicated — that the river has returned to normal."

Concerns about the Potomac River hit an all-time high in January, when more than 250 million gallons of wastewater flowed into the Potomac River over eight days after the sewer line collapsed.

A 32-page complaint was filed earlier against DC Water, accusing the utility of knowing about the faulty infrastructure and delaying repairs.

Officials didn't complete all repair work until mid-March.

Residents can view the latest water sample results at DC Water's monitoring page.