News & Politics The Broken Sewer Line That Filled the Potomac River With Poop Has Been Repaired. What Happens Next? The Potomac Interceptor pipe has the region's wastewater flow back on track, but environmental concerns still abound. DC Water, Poop Water, Potomac River, Sewer Line BreakMarch 17, 2026
News & Politics The Federal Government Will Help DC Clean Up the Potomac River Sewage Spill President Trump has approved an emergency declaration allowing FEMA to help cleanup efforts after a request from DC mayor Muriel Bowser last week. FEMA, Poop Water, Potomac River, Sewer Line BreakFebruary 23, 2026
News & Politics Melting Ice Appears to Release More Bacteria Into the Potomac River After Last Month’s Sewage Spill The broken sewer line itself hasn't overflowed in more than a week, but warming temperatures are presenting new public health concerns. Muriel Bowser, Potomac River, Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Sewer Line BreakFebruary 20, 2026
News & Politics Weeks After Sewer Line Break, There Is Still a Lot of Crap in the Potomac River Recent water-quality samples reveal E. coli and staph contamination downstream of the busted pipe. DC Water, Poop Water, Potomac River, Potomac RiverkeepersFebruary 11, 2026
News & Politics So There’s 300 Million Gallons of Poop Water in the Potomac River. Now What? The sewage spill is largely contained, but there are a few public health risks you should know about. (Hopefully you're not hungry for shellfish.) Poop Water, Potomac River, Sewer Line BreakJanuary 30, 2026
News & Politics More Bad News: A “Small Geyser” of Poop Water Is Flooding Into the Potomac River The collapse of a sewer line carrying wastewater from Virginia and Maryland isn't affecting DC's drinking water. But it's still unbelievably gross. Poop Water, Potomac River, Sewer Line BreakJanuary 27, 2026
News & Politics The Potomac River Still Isn’t Safe to Swim In: Report The river got a "B" in the Potomac Conservancy's new report. Things aren't getting worse, but improvements have stalled. Potomac Conservancy, Potomac RiverNovember 12, 2025
News & Politics Why Can You Swim in the Seine but Not the Potomac River? Paris’s river cleanup is much further along. Capital Comment, Pollution, Potomac RiverSeptember 23, 2025
Things to Do MAP: Where to Watch the 2022 Fourth of July Fireworks Without Going to the National Mall You don't have to join the crowds this Independence Day. 4th of July, Fireworks, National Mall, Northern VirginiaJune 27, 2022
Health | News & Politics Meet the People Who Actually Enjoy Swimming in the Potomac We spent time with advocates who want to nix no-swimming laws. Advocacy, Anacostia Riverkeeper, DC Marathon Swim, Potomac ConservancyMay 2, 2022
Why Can You Swim in the Seine but Not the Potomac River?