President Donald Trump said Monday that federal authorities will respond to a major sewage spill that occurred four weeks ago in the Potomac River, which flows between Maryland, Washington and Virginia. White House officials did not immediately respond to questions about what the federal response to the spill would entail. According to Brookie Crawford, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Health, there was an additional spill on Feb. 7 as D.C. Water crews worked to deal with the sewage. A spokesperson for D.C. Water said the emergency repairs to the pipeline could take four to six weeks. In Maryland, officials have temporarily closed off a shellfish harvesting area in response to the sewage spill.

Source: Washington Post February 17, 2026 07:58 UTC