Trump Calls In FEMA To Respond To Sewage Disaster In Potomac River

Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times,

President Donald Trump is directing federal emergency teams to respond to a sewage spill on the Potomac River, calling it a “massive ecological disaster” and blaming local leaders for not handling the crisis, which began nearly a month ago.

“There is a massive Ecological Disaster unfolding in the Potomac River as a result of the Gross Mismanagement of Local Democrat Leaders, particularly, Governor Wes Moore, of Maryland,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Feb. 16.

Moore’s office didn’t immediately return a request for comment on Trump’s statement.

On Jan. 19, a section of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line collapsed, causing the failure of a 60-year-old, 72-inch concrete pipeline along the Clara Barton Parkway in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Over 250 million gallons of sewage poured into the Potomac River in one of the largest spills in U.S. history, according to University of Maryland researchers. Water samples collected at the site show high levels of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria that causes staph infections, researchers reported.

“People coming into contact with the impacted water or land are at risk of becoming infected with these bacteria, which can lead to serious health conditions,” said Dr. Rachel Rosenberg Goldstein, a microbiologist and assistant professor at the university.

Trump said the spill was the “result of incompetent local and state management of essential waste management systems.”

“It is clear local authorities cannot adequately handle this calamity,” Trump stated.

“Therefore, I am directing federal authorities to immediately provide all necessary management, direction, and coordination to protect the Potomac, the water supply in the Capital region, and our treasured National Resources in our Nation’s Capital City.”

Despite state and local leaders not asking for federal assistance, Trump said he “cannot allow incompetent local ‘leadership’ to turn the river in the heart of Washington into a disaster zone.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will play a key role in coordinating the response, the president stated.

FEMA and DHS are facing a partial funding lapse as Democrats in the U.S. Senate demand changes to immigration enforcement.

Crews work to keep raw sewage from flowing into the Potomac River after a pipeline rupture, in Glen Echo, Md., on Jan. 23, 2026. Cliff Owen/AP Photo

According to Virginia’s health department, the utility DC Water is handling repairs to the pipe, while Maryland has regulatory authority over the Potomac River for recreational advisories, water quality monitoring, and issuing bans on shellfish harvesting.

The Virginia Health Department was working with the Maryland departments of Health and the Environment during the crisis.

DC Water has stated that drinking water is not affected by the incident.

The nearest Virginia location using the Potomac River as a primary source of water is the city of Fairfax, with an intake located several miles upstream of where the sewage spill entered the river, according to Virginia.