Sewage and Jet Fuel Spills Enter Potomac River Near Washington D.C.

A 60-year-old sewer pipe known as the Potomac Interceptor collapsed near the Clara Barton Parkway in Montgomery County, Maryland, in January, releasing an estimated 243 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River over three weeks. The spill occurred along the Maryland shoreline and added to existing stress on the river system, which supplies drinking water to more than 5 million people in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

A separate incident began on December 11 when a fuel system at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County failed a tightness test. The failure allowed jet fuel to enter the headwaters of Piscataway Creek, a tributary that flows into the Potomac. State regulators received the first notification of the leak on March 23.

Joint Base Andrews later reported that approximately 32,000 gallons of fuel had leaked, with 22,000 gallons entering the environment. Maryland Department of the Environment officials stated the base is responsible for immediate reporting, containment, and remediation under state environmental law.

Before the December fuel leak, residents and researchers had raised concerns about PFAS chemicals in Piscataway Creek. A 2023 fish consumption advisory followed testing that found elevated PFAS levels in local fish.

Maryland’s congressional delegation sent letters to the Secretary of the Air Force and to DC Water requesting information on both incidents. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen stated the spills increase pressure on already burdened waterways. Joint Base Andrews said sampling conducted with state officials on April 13 and April 20 showed petroleum levels trending downward, while a more precise assessment of the spill’s reach remains under review.