A 72-inch diameter pipe collapsed in the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historical Park near Clara Barton Parkway Jan. 19, leading to a massive sewage leak. The eastbound lane of Clara Barton Parkway will remain closed until further notice, and drivers on Interstate 495 and Clara Barton Parkway should anticipate major delays. 

The pipe is part of the Potomac Interceptor, which carries roughly 60 million pounds of sewage daily. The channel moves wastewater from Montgomery County and parts of Northern Virginia to the Potomac Pumping Station in Washington, D.C., before diverting it to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Southwest Washington.

To suppress the overflow, D.C. Water is constructing a temporary bypass to divert the wastewater upstream of the collapse. On Wednesday, construction crews cleared debris and installed pipes for the bypass. On Thursday, D.C. Water and the National Park Service began removing the canal’s upper lock gates, aiming to activate the pumps that would redirect the wastewater by the weekend. 

Whitman Junior Parker Wizenberg walked on the C&O Canal this Wednesday afternoon and said she immediately noticed the sewage’s stench. 

“I walk on the canal all the time, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Wizenberg said. “There were so many construction workers and equipment, and the smell of sewage was unbearable.”

Although the leak left a pungent odor to walkers on the canal, D.C. Water said the incident does not affect drinking water. The District’s drinking water is separate from the sewage system, and the water service will continue as usual.

D.C. Water urged people to remain cautious and avoid contact with untreated wastewater, which could increase the risk of illness. The sewage contains harmful pathogens, including E. coli bacteria and hepatitis viruses, that can spread throughout communities. 

While the cause of the collapse remains under investigation, the sewer line is more than 60 years old. To address aging infrastructure, D.C. Water is rehabilitating parts of the Potomac Interceptor as part of the authority’s $625 million high-priority Capital Improvement Program. Once the temporary pumps are operational, crews will assess the damaged area to determine how long permanent repairs will take. 

With heavy snowfall expected this weekend, D.C. Water said it is prepared to adjust its schedule.

“We are also monitoring the weather and the potential for significant snow this weekend,” D.C. Water said in a report. “Work will continue, however, [repairs] may be slowed in the event of heavy snowfall.”