Pumps and pipes divert raw sewage on Feb. 16, 2026, into the C&O Canal and around a broken section of the Potomac Interceptor, a 6-foot-wide pipe that collapsed on Jan. 19 between the Clara Barton Parkway and the canal in Cabin John, Maryland.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images
President Donald Trump on Tuesday stepped up a feud with Democratic leaders of Maryland, Virginia and Washington over a massive sewage spill into the Potomac River, and it’s turning into a messy political battle.
More than 200 million gallons of wastewater gushed into the Potomac in recent weeks. A pipe collapsed in January on the Potomac Interceptor sewage line alongside the Clara Barton Parkway in Maryland, just outside of the District of Columbia. The pipe and the sewage line are managed by DC Water, an independent utility that serves the capital area and is managing the disaster.
Trump on Tuesday demanded regional Democratic leaders ask him for help in fixing the spill, seemingly backtracking after he announced on Monday that his administration would be taking over the recovery effort.
“The two Governors and the Mayor of D.C. must act, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, referring to Democratic Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, also a Democrat. “If they can’t do the job, they have to call me and ask, politely, to get it fixed. The Federal Government is not at all involved with what has taken place, but we can fix it.”
Trump on Monday singled out Moore in another Truth Social post on the spill, saying it is a “result of the Gross Mismanagement of Local Democrat Leaders, particularly, Governor Wes Moore, of Maryland.”
The sewage spat comes amid a series of feuds the president is waging with state executives, especially Moore, who is seen as a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028. It’s also the latest example of Trump leveraging the bully pulpit of the presidency to bludgeon his political rivals, including Moore.
Moore responded in a post on X to Trump’s post saying the spill is “basically contained” and asking the White House to instead help with emergency funding to help the state recover from flooding last year.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks on the day of President Joe Biden’s visit to Dundalk Marine Terminal, in Baltimore, Maryland, Oct. 29, 2024.
Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters
Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for Moore, said it’s Trump, not Maryland, who is responsible for the Potomac Interceptor and accused the president of shirking responsibility.
“Since the last century, the federal government has been responsible for the Potomac Interceptor, which is the origin of the sewage leak,” Moussa said in a statement. “Apparently the Trump administration hadn’t gotten the memo that they’re actually supposed to be in charge here. Where the president has failed to act, Maryland has played its part to protect residents, protect drinking water, and ensure accountability.”
Moore’s office said that because the Potomac Interceptor is owned and operated by DC Water, it is a piece of federally regulated infrastructure under the oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The governor’s office added that he would be willing to work with federal authorities if they are willing to assist with the recovery.
“If the federal government is just now showing up to take action, we will work collaboratively — as we always do — to be responsive and keep the public informed about the federal government’s plan to remediate the damage,” Moussa said. “The Potomac isn’t a talking point, and the people of the region deserve serious leadership that meets the moment.”
The White House, however, is doubling down on blaming local elected Democrats for the disaster.
“President Trump will not allow the failures of local and state Democrats to diminish the quality of life for millions of Americans,” Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement to CNBC. “In line with the President’s promise to make Washington, D.C. safe and beautiful, President Trump may be forced to step in and fix this disaster created by Democrats, whose gross mismanagement has allowed millions of gallons of raw sewage to be dumped into the Potomac River.”
A White House official speaking on condition of anonymity said Maryland is responsible for Potomac River water quality standards within its borders and for enforcing regulations requiring “sewage system operators to report, monitor and mitigate unauthorized discharges that affect surface waters of the state.”
The sewage leak has not had an impact on drinking water in Washington, according to DC Water. The overflow was stopped in late January, and sewage is now being bypassed around the broken pipe. Due to the raw sewage released into the river, however, the district’s Department of Energy and Environment has warned residents to avoid the river. The Potomac is a source of drinking water for the District of Columbia, and it’s a popular location for kayaking and other recreation.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it is able to support the recovery effort if it is asked to.
“At no point has DC Water or the state of Maryland requested EPA to take over their responsibilities, and EPA has continued to offer its full support to state and local leaders from the onset. We are always ready to step in and assist with our exceptional team,” the EPA press office said in a statement to CNBC.
“The Potomac Interceptor overflow is a sewage crisis of historic proportion. Never should any American family, community, or waterway ever have to experience this level of extensive environmental damage,” the press office said.
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