PG County Authorities Scramble as Sewer Overflows in BW Parkway Median

RIVERDALE PARK, MD — A broken sewer main is causing wastewater to flood the median of the Baltimore Washington Parkway, and authorities are working furiously to deal with the problem as thousands of gallons spill into a nearby creek.

A statement put out by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Aug. 18 declared a "Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO)" in the median of the BW Parkway between Route 410 and Route 450. The break happened at around 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday and has continued into the next day.

More than 10,000 gallons of untreated wastewater have poured into a nearby unnamed creek.

"WSSC is working closely with the National Park Service to safely move in equipment to begin installing an overpass and stop the wastewater overflow," the statement reads. "Appropriate notifications have been made to the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Prince George’s County Health Department."