Highlights 

Today marks the 12th consecutive day with no new overflow events entering the Potomac River or impacting surface waters. The bulkhead installed in the Potomac Interceptor at I-495 continues to function as designed, preventing flow from moving downstream toward the damaged section of pipe. Bypass pumping remains fully operational, despite heavy rains and snowmelt increasing flow. Crews continue to vacuum debris downstream of the collapse and work has begun to remove a rock dam blocking the pipe, as well as additional boulders and other debris upstream and downstream of the collapse site ... Read More

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser Visits Site as Crews Make Progress on Repairs

DC Water has successfully reached the damaged section of the Potomac Interceptor, marking a critical step in the ongoing damage assessment and repair efforts. Crews today are manually digging out the affected area, carefully removing sludge, soil, and debris from the collapsed pipe.

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Efforts to isolate the damaged section of pipe are moving forward. Engineers are on site and preparations are underway to permanently install a steel bulkhead gate that will cut off flow to the collapse site in combination with an enhanced bypass pumping system that will continue to divert wastewater around the failure and into the Potomac Interceptor further downstream. Once fully activated, the system will allow contractors to begin stabilizing the area around the break and initiate excavation down to the damaged pipe and rock dam.

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