U.S. Justice Department Sues Washington Over Massive Sewage Spill

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil complaint against the city of Washington, D.C. and its water utility, DC Water, over a massive sewage spill that discharged hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated waste into the Potomac River.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court, stems from a catastrophic collapse of a major sewer line known as the Potomac Interceptor in January 2026. The failure released more than 240 million gallons of raw sewage into the river, making it one of the largest wastewater spills in the U.S. history.

According to the Justice Department, the incident was preventable. The complaint alleges that DC Water had been aware for years that the ageing pipeline; originally built in the 1960s, was severely corroded and at risk of failure but failed to carry out necessary repairs.

Federal authorities argue that the utility violated the Clean Water Act by failing to properly maintain its infrastructure, allowing untreated sewage to enter public waterways and pose risks to human health and the environment.

The spill also triggered a separate lawsuit from the state of Maryland, which is seeking damages and penalties for environmental contamination and cleanup costs. Elevated levels of harmful bacteria, including E. coli, were detected in affected areas following the incident, raising public health concerns.

In response, DC Water said it has since repaired the damaged section of the pipeline and stopped the discharge within weeks. The agency maintains it is committed to long-term rehabilitation of the sewer system and ongoing environmental monitoring.

The case has renewed scrutiny on ageing infrastructure across the United States, with federal officials warning that cities must invest more aggressively in maintaining wastewater systems to prevent similar disasters in the future.