Sewage overflow costing D.C. $20 million, Mayor request reimbursement

WASHINGTON (7News) — D.C. officials on Friday said crews are still working around the clock to repair a broken sewer pipe that triggered a massive sewage spill into the Potomac River, as the District seeks federal help to cover the cost.

Since the break, crews have continued working on the Potomac Interceptor site 24/7, and officials described a coordinated effort to repair the pipe.

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DC Water told 7News the response is costing the District about $20 million so far.

Mayor Muriel Bowser has submitted a request for federal support seeking a 100 percent reimbursement. She said she expects full reimbursement and argued the federal government should do more to prevent future infrastructure failures.

“We think the feds should be supporting clean rivers,” Bowser said. “What their capital improvements plan looks like, how it’s funded, and how it’s implemented.”

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DC Water said it does not yet know what caused the pipeline to break and does not know when it will be able to determine the cause.

The health advisory is currently set to be lifted on Monday, March 2. Officials also warned a storm expected this weekend could affect conditions, with DC Health noting certain amounts of water could cause runoff into the river.