A catastrophic failure of a major interceptor sewer pipe has resulted in what experts are calling one of the largest wastewater spills in U.S. history, renewing scrutiny of aging buried infrastructure and emergency response readiness across the sector.
On the evening of Jan. 19, a section of DC Water’s 72-inch Potomac Interceptor line collapsed near Clara Barton Parkway and the Interstate 495 interchange, sending millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into the Potomac River before flows could be fully controlled. The interceptor, installed more than 60 years ago, carries about 60 million gallons of wastewater daily from areas near Dulles Airport to the
