Public utilities

DC Sewage Spill Shows Us Nationwide Wastewater Infrastructure Problem

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Brown sewage pours from a large pipe into a river, with the Washington Monument and a bridge in the background under a cloudy sky. Text at top reads 'SEWAGE SPILL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.'

CLIFF NOTES Washington, D.C. spilled about 240 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River from mid-January to mid-March 2026. The article says it may be the largest sewage spill in U.S. history, and it warns more spills are coming. It blames aging mid-20th-century sewer systems and chronic underinvestment. Overflows happen from breaks, blockages … Read more