In response to the ongoing sewage situation in the Potomac River, President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is “instructing federal authorities to swiftly implement all necessary controls and coordination to safeguard the river.”
On Truth Social, Trump described the sewage crisis as “unfolding” due to what he termed “gross mismanagement by local Democratic leaders,” singling out Maryland Governor Wes Moore. Trump added that Moore is “the same governor who can’t rebuild bridges.”
“Due to the gross mismanagement from local Democratic leaders, particularly Governor Moore, we’re facing a major ecological disaster in the Potomac River,” Trump stated. “It’s a sewer line break in Maryland that has led to millions of gallons of untreated sewage pouring into the river, thanks to the incompetent management of essential waste systems.”
He pointed out that “local governments clearly cannot adequately handle this disaster.”
“Thus, I am instructing federal authorities to promptly take all measures necessary to protect the Potomac River, the Metropolitan Water Supply System, and our precious national resources in the capital,” he added.
Trump acknowledged that although “state and local governments” weren’t requesting “emergency help,” he couldn’t permit “inept local ‘leaders’ to allow the rivers of downtown Washington to become disaster zones.”
The sewage spill started on January 19 when “a 72-inch section of the Potomac Interceptor collapsed,” leading to approximately “200 million gallons of wastewater” being dumped into the river, according to DC Water officials.
While “drinking water supplies are not affected,” the Virginia Department of Health has advised residents to steer clear of recreational activities, such as swimming, tubing, and kayaking in the Potomac.
A February 6 DC Water release indicated that “approximately 243 million gallons of wastewater overflowed from the collapsed area.” They mentioned, “After monitoring the flow, we found that most of this, around 194 million gallons, occurred in the first five days before we implemented significant overflow management.”
In an open letter, DC Water CEO David Gaddis described the sewage spill as “extremely alarming,” noting that the agency was alerted to the collapse when surveillance cameras spotted “unusual activity.”
