The Trump administration has finished remediating the Potomac River and C&O Canal following a massive raw sewage spill just outside Washington, EPA said Wednesday.
The agency, along with FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Park Service, began assisting with cleanup, water and soil sampling, and removal of contaminated soil and other materials in February following the collapse of a major sewer pipe.
DC Water, the utility that owns the pipe, is continuing with its own response, which includes fixing other parts of the pipe that are at risk of collapsing and removing contaminated soil and rocks by hand to avoid damaging historic structures, the utility said in a press release Tuesday.
One of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history, the incident that began Jan. 19 near Cabin John, Maryland, initially caused significant spikes in bacteria levels in the Potomac River. Water quality has gradually improved, with sampling from the Maryland Department of Environment from April 28 showing bacteria levels within a safe range for recreational activities.
