State Watch DC lifts recreational advisory for Potomac River by Ashleigh Fields - 03/02/26 10:41 PM ET by Ashleigh Fields - 03/02/26 10:41 PM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email NOW PLAYING Washington, D.C., lifted its recreational advisory for the Potomac River on Monday after a large-scale sewage spill earlier this year. “Consistent water quality testing shows bacterial levels are now within safe ranges for recreation,” Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote in a Monday post on the social platform X. “Reminder: as always, swimming in rivers in DC is prohibited without a special permit,” she added. The Potomac Interceptor collapsed on Jan. 19, resulting in 243 million gallons of untreated wastewater flowing into the river for five days. DC Water eventually erected a temporary bypass pipe. The city’s health department on Monday said tests confirm E. coli levels meet EPA standards for recreational use. “After careful review of the last three weeks of water quality data, we are confident that conditions in the District’s portion of the Potomac River no longer pose an elevated public health risk,” Ayanna Bennett, Director of DC Health said in a statement on the matter. “This advisory applies only to waters within the District of Columbia, and we encourage residents to follow guidance from neighboring jurisdictions for areas outside the District’s boundaries,” she added. Local officials said any sewage that went into the river because of the break in the Potomac Interceptor flowed away from the water intake and not towards it. D.C.’s drinking water is being pulled from upstream of the break (at Great Falls). A new downstream connection to the interceptor is being constructed to improve wastewater conveyance and reduce future risk in addition to the installation of an upstream bulkhead intended to restrict as much wastewater flow to the damaged section as possible.  Permanent repairs of the pipe, though, will take up to nine months, according to DC Water Chief Engineer Moussa Wone. Add as preferred source on Google Tags D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Muriel Bowser Potomac Interceptor Potomac River recreational advisory lifted Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email More State Watch News See All State Watch Texas Gov. Abbott warns Iranian ‘sleeper cells’ must be taken ‘seriously’ by Ashleigh Fields 2 hours ago State Watch  /  2 hours ago