On Jan. 19, 2026, the Potomac River had a sewage pipe collapse. When it gave way, the pipe began to spill directly into the river, leading to hazardous conditions that affect both people and the environment.

“I think the environmental effect should be the main priority.” sophomore Ethan Waggy said. “Because, if the environment is hurt by it, it will indirectly hurt us as well.”

The spill lasted about a week, until an emergency bypass was finished. On Jan. 29, DC Water had declared they had “full containment.” Before this, approximately 243 million gallons of unfiltered wastewater had flowed into the river.

“I think that it’s just a tragic mistake that just happened at a bad time,” Waggy said. “[It has caused] the animals to not have proper water anymore.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlighted the severity of the contamination following recent testing. Officials have quantified the impact of the spill.

“E. coli bacteria levels in the Potomac were hundreds of times higher than the level the EPA considers safe when the water was tested this week at the site of the spill, officials from utility company DC Water said [on Jan. 18],” NBC News said.

Located in Northwest Washington DC, Georgetown is affected by this crisis. Georgetown is a waterfront for DC, so they are within close proximity of the river’s range of impact . This causes the polluted water, along with many pathogens, to present a potential danger.

“This shows that we have been able to limit these things before,” Waggy said. “We have also learned that we can handle it better than some other places, but we still have to be careful.”

As the clean up process is being undergone, governments advise that recreational or personal use of the Potomac River should be limited. NBC News said that “If you contact” the water, immediately leave the area, wash “with soap and clean water, and seek medical [help] if symptoms occur.” Despite risks from contact with contaminated water, the drinking water supply has been declared safe.

“They already are doing some things, but in general, they should be making sure that our water is not going to possibly contaminate,” Waggy said, “[They also need to] figure out a way to help the animals that are actively getting affected.”