Emergency bypass limits sewer overflow after Potomac Interceptor collapse
DC Water has activated a temporary bypass system to divert wastewater around a collapsed section of the Potomac Interceptor, significantly reducing a sanitary sewer overflow that began last week along Clara Barton Parkway near the C&O Canal.
According to WTOP News, the failure occurred Jan. 19 when a 72-inch section of the interceptor collapsed, sending untreated wastewater into a creek bed that drains to the canal. The Potomac Interceptor is a 54-mile regional sewer that conveys approximately 60 million gallons per day from communities in Northern Virginia and Maryland to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Following the collapse, crews from DC Water, working with the National Park Service, constructed an emergency bypass system designed to reroute flows upstream of the damaged segment. The temporary configuration carries wastewater through a dry portion of the canal corridor and returns it to the interceptor downstream of the failure.
The bypass became operational Wednesday night and is now using six large pumps to move flow around the collapsed section, WTOP News reported. DC Water reported that diverted flow has increased by roughly 40 million gallons per day. Some leakage near the break is continuing as the failed pipe segment drains, but additional pumping capacity is being mobilized to achieve full containment.
With the bypass in place, crews are preparing to excavate the damaged interceptor section to assess the extent of the collapse. Planned work includes debris removal, ground stabilization and development of a long-term repair strategy. DC Water has not yet released a schedule for permanent repairs.
The utility said the District’s drinking water system remains unaffected, noting that wastewater and potable water systems are separate and that intake structures were closed as a precaution. Environmental assessments and cleanup activities will follow once permanent repairs are completed.
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