White House Details EPA as Federal Lead on Potomac Interceptor Collapse and Response Efforts
WASHINGTON – The White House has assigned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the lead federal agency in response to the Potomac Interceptor collapse which resulted in at least 240 million gallons of raw, untreated sewage discharging into the Potomac River.
EPA will implement the President’s direction to provide all necessary management and coordination among federal agencies to protect the Potomac River and the region’s water supply from the ongoing infrastructure failure spill in the State of Maryland. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has designated Assistant Administrator for Water Jessica Kramer as Senior Response Officer overseeing the effort.
While EPA has continued to offer its full support to state and local leaders from the onset of this crisis, prior to the District of Columbia’s request for federal assistance this week, neither the District nor the state of Maryland requested federal assistance.
As part of EPA’s enhanced role, the agency is actively coordinating with DC Water to ensure appropriate and expeditious measures are utilized to protect public health and prevent additional overflows until the pipe is repaired and the Potomac Interceptor is fully functional again. This repair is currently projected to be completed by mid-March. EPA will also coordinate with DC Water to ensure site clean-up activities are completed well before America250 festivities on the Potomac begin. Finally, EPA will ensure DC Water evaluates all Potomac Interceptor infrastructure to identify other areas requiring maintenance or repair as expeditiously as possible.
Throughout this process, EPA will have open and transparent lines of communication with DC Water, state and local partners, and the public. The agency is committed to coordinating with all federal partners to conduct robust oversight, implement a streamlined and efficient communication strategy, and provide resources to support the completion of repairs and remediation efforts as quickly as possible.
“The Potomac Interceptor collapse and overflow is a sewage crisis of historic proportions. Never should any American family, community, or waterway have to experience this level of sewage overflow,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “This mess must be completely addressed as fast as humanly possible, and the Trump EPA stands ready, motivated, and highly capable to step in and correct this situation. I have full confidence in Assistant Administrator Kramer’s tremendous ability to serve as Senior Response Officer. Together, we will work transparently, collaboratively, and efficiently to fulfill President Trump’s desire to quickly end this disaster and prevent it from being repeated.”
“I’m honored to have the confidence of President Trump and Administrator Zeldin and look forward to continue working with DC Water and our federal and local partners to restore the site as quickly as possible,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jessica Kramer. “We will work thoroughly and efficiently to support the long-term health of the Potomac, the region’s water supply, and local residents and communities.”
Background
The Potomac Interceptor is a sanitary sewer line in Maryland that conveys up to 60 million gallons of wastewater every day from parts of Virginia and Maryland to DC Water’s Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. A collapse occurred late Monday, January 19, 2026, in a 72-inch diameter section of the pipe causing hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage to escape and impact the nearby Potomac River. The Potomac Interceptor is managed by DC Water.
Early in the morning of January 25, 2026, DC Water activated a controlled bypass system in response to the collapse of a portion of the Potomac Interceptor on January 19, 2026. The bypass system utilizes a portion of the C&O Canal to protect the Potomac River from further contamination by containing the spill and redirecting it back into an undamaged portion of the Potomac Interceptor where it is transported for treatment.
According to the operators of the Washington Aqueduct, which collects source water to be treated and distributed as safe drinking water, there is currently no impact to drinking water being provided to residents, schools, and businesses in the Washington, DC metro area. Any sewage overflow that occurred has been downstream of the Aqueduct’s primary intake facility. While there is a historic water intake facility downstream of the spill site, that intake has been offline since early fall 2025.