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A massive sewage spill in the Potomac River has left McLean rowers uncertain whether they can safely begin their season in March.
The contamination began Jan. 19, when a 72-inch sewage pipe burst near the C&O Canal in the Cabin John area. Roughly 300 million gallons of raw sewage entered the river, prompting health concerns among residents, environmental groups and elected officials.
No additional overflows have been reported, and the immediate problem has been stabilized. DC Water installed pumps Jan. 23 to redirect the sewage while crews repaired the most heavily damaged sections.
Initial testing by the Potomac Riverkeeper Network and the University of Maryland found E. coli concentrations as high as 10,000 times the recreational water-quality limit. On Feb. 7, the Potomac Conservancy delivered DC Water a letter signed by 2,100 community members seeking answers and action.
The spill also sparked a political dispute over the government’s response.
“Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., who are responsible for the massive sewage spill in the Potomac River, must get to work immediately,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, accused the Trump administration of failing to respond adequately.
“For the last four weeks, the Trump Administration has failed to act, shirking its responsibility and putting people’s health at risk,” Moussa said in a written statement.
Rowers Face an Uncertain Start
Elevated E. coli levels could make rowing unsafe because splashed water can reach athletes’ faces.
“Backsplash can get into our eyes and our mouth, and then we’d get sick,” said Jacqueline McGowan, a sophomore on McLean’s girls crew team. “[The water] has to be at a certain [safe] level.”
The team expected to begin its season in March, but it remains unclear when the boathouse and river will be safe enough for practices.
“There is a lot of uncertainty right now with whether or not we will start [the season] on time,” sophomore girls crew member Ava Slocum said. “We’re hoping for the beginning of March, but right now, it’s looking like the boathouse might be closed for a really long time because it won’t be safe for any of the crews to be on the water.”
The team could relocate practices to the Occoquan River, but the trip takes about an hour from McLean and would create transportation, financial and scheduling problems.
“Instead of getting back home at like 6:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m., I’ll be getting back home at 9:00 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. from practice every day, which is a massive waste of time,” said Abhay Shukla, a sophomore on the boys crew team.
A delayed start could also put McLean at a competitive disadvantage against teams whose training has not been disrupted. The crew team competes at state and national events, including races in Philadelphia.
“For state [competitions], we go up to Philadelphia, and they aren’t experiencing this [spillage] problem right now, because it’s mainly just the Potomac,” Slocum said. “So, for them, they’re getting the advantage of starting their season earlier [than us].”
McLean’s rowers hope the Potomac becomes safe soon enough to avoid relocating their practices.
“[Going to the Occoquan would] affect all of our homework schedules and transportation and everything,” Slocum said. “It would be a lot more expensive for us to get there and transport our boats and everything.”