The excavation around a damaged section of the Potomac Interceptor has been extended and trench boxes installed to provide shoring and stability. This doubles the size of the excavated area, to connect the collapse site with a downstream access point to the Potomac Interceptor.
DC Water crews are working around the clock to keep the Potomac Interceptor repair site safe as another storm approaches. Since February 8, there have been no overflows to the Potomac River, and efforts are underway to bolster pump capacity and manage stormwater runoff due to expected heavy rain and snow that could flood the pumping site and endanger pumping operations.
Potomac Interceptor Repair Update
February 21, 2026
- For nearly two weeks, no overflows have entered the Potomac River. The last release to the river occurred on February 8.
- Crews are continuing to remove debris and large rocks from inside the damaged pipe section.
- An initial assessment of the damaged pipe section determined the remaining intact structure downstream, which is blocked by an extensive ...
DC Water will host two community meetings to provide a comprehensive update on the Potomac Interceptor response, current system status, and next steps in emergency repair and long-term rehabilitation efforts.
The meetings will provide a structured overview of:
- What occurred
- Immediate response actions
- Current repair timeline
- Long-term Capital Improvement Plan commitments
DC Water officials and technical ...
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 ...
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.
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 ...
Potomac Interceptor Collapse Update
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
- No overflow events impacting surface waters were reported overnight. No overflow events impacting surface waters have been reported since February 9, 2026.
- DC Water continues making significant progress toward stabilizing the Potomac Interceptor, with crews successfully testing the bulkhead system and bypass pumps. Six of the seven new ...
Emergency repair expected to take 4-6 weeks, followed by long-term rehabilitation
DC Water crews and its contractors, working under challenging conditions over the past month, are nearing completion of an enhanced bypass system that will allow emergency repairs to begin on a damaged section of the Potomac Interceptor.
Potomac Interceptor Repairs Update
February 15, 2026
- No overflow events impacting surface waters have been reported in the past 24 hours.
- The four high-capacity bypass pumps installed this week are now fully primed and operational, increasing overall system capacity and reliability.
- In addition, the third flume at the downstream end of the canal near Lock 10 is now active and conveying wastewater ...
