The collapse of the pipe, called the Potomac Interceptor, which carries up to 40 million gallons of sewage and wastewater each day, led to crews establishing a workaround involving the installation of pumps and diversion of the waste into the C&O Canal, according to Sherry Lewis, spokesperson for D.C. Water.

The break occurred in a portion of the interceptor near the Interstate 495 interchange and the Clara Barton Parkway near the C&O Canal National Historical Park.

“This is a dry section of the canal that is contained,” Lewis explained.

She said the wastewater is being channeled downstream from the break, and back into the Potomac Interceptor.

By Monday, the crews were able to make significant progress in redirecting the flow of the wastewater, Lewis said.

“There is some residual wastewater in that area that needs to drain,” she added.

Lewis clarified that D.C.’s drinking water is not affected by the millions of gallons of untreated wastewater that were released by the collapse of the Interceptor.

“The drinking water is safe. There is no impact to it from this overflow,” she said. “The primary intake for the Washington Aqueduct’s drinking water supply is in Great Falls, so it is not anywhere close to where this overflow occurred.”

Lewis said the timeline for how long it might be before the 72-inch pipe could be repaired hasn’t been determined.

“It’s not an overnight fix when you’re talking about a 72-inch, 6- foot-diameter sewer pipe,” she said.

While D.C. Water cited progress on stemming the sewage flow in frigid temperatures, Potomac Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks told Â鶹ąŮÍř, “We’re grateful that the flow has been reduced, but there’s still raw sewage that’s coming into the Potomac River.”

“If this happened in the summer, I can assure you the entire river would be closed for public access and there would be public health notifications,” he said.

The National Park Service and D.C. Water have posted signs in the area notifying passersby that raw sewage poses a contamination hazard.

A news release from the Potomac Riverkeeper Network showed what the group called a “catastrophic impact” on the health of the Potomac River. Testing by Naujoks’ group Friday showed the presence of E. coli at nearly 12,000 times the amount allowed for safe human contact.

“Infrastructure failure is at the root of this disaster,” Naujoks said in the news release. “The interceptor pipe … should have been better maintained in order to avoid this catastrophe.”

D.C. Water issued a saying it’s allocated $625 million in its Capital Improvement Program to rehabilitate the Potomac Interceptor over the next 10 years.

In the same statement, D.C. Water said it’s been working closely with federal, state and local partners, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service, Washington Aqueduct, D.C.’s Department of Energy and the Environment and Maryland’s Department of the Environment, among others.

“Together, we are coordinating efforts to contain the overflow, monitor and assess environmental impacts, and keep the public informed,” the release said.

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The Anacostia River Splash has been postponed until Saturday, July 13, according to an email sent Saturday from Quinn Molner, Anacostia Riverkeeper’s director of operations.

“We are extremely disappointed to postpone our event but for the safety of all of the splashers, staff, and volunteers, this is the correct call,” Molner said in the email.

She said the move was made “out of an abundance of caution” after “additional water quality samples” were taken on Friday.

Following Wednesday’s weather, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all participants, we took additional water quality samples on Friday. They have come back above E. coli recreational standards. Splash is being postponed until July 13th.

— Anacostia Riverkeeper (@AnacostiaRrkper)

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On Friday, VDH said people are advised to avoid contact with the upper section of the North Anna Branch of Lake Anna in Louisa County. This is reported to have unsafe levels of cyanobacteria — which can cause skin rashes and gastrointestinal illnesses, such as an upset stomach, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

According to VDH, activities that pose a risk of ingesting water should be avoided, but boating with proper precaution can continue.

The VDH also specified in the release that the algae bloom is “not associated with the Ěýof Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) at Lake Anna area, as that pathogen is not associated” with the bloom.

Margaret Smigo, waterborne hazards program coordinator at VDH, said Lake Anna has a history of harmful algal blooms and phytoplankton usually increase with warm weather and sunlight.

“The samples that were collected for harmful algal bloom response were collected on Monday and the levels in the North Anna were just above our threshold for the harmful algal bloom advisory,” said Smigo. “And we did detect very slight concentrations of one cyanotoxin, but it was well below levels that would pose a human health concern.”

Smigo said it takes approximately one month to get an advisory lifted, which includes about two samples taken 10 days apart in between the logistics of sampling, analysis and review.

Meanwhile, 25 people, including seven children, are still recovering after spending Memorial Day weekend at the lake and becoming seriously sick. According to VDH, they eliminated the possibility of food contamination and say the “likely source” for the E. coli outbreak was Lake Anna.

“We aren’t able to give an exact source,” said Smigo. “Unfortunately, that’s very rarely the case during outbreaks, especially when you have a variety of different illnesses where you have a holiday weekend, several folks were out of town, and you also have the potential for recreational water exposure. The recreational water exposure, or lake water, seems to be the most likely source of illness.”

Smigo said the organization came to this possible conclusion by simply doing a process of elimination. Officials say samples of the water collected June 11 and on Monday showed the fecal bacteria concentrations were well below a level of concern, and they plan to test again on Tuesday.

VDH also said animals that have been in the lake could be how the water was contaminated, but they aren’t able to say when that may have happened. The weather could also be the cause of pollutants.

“Following that rain event, VDH strongly recommends that the public not go swimming in natural water bodies two to three days after a rain event,” said Smigo. “And this is because it takes a while for the disturbance of that rain to kind of settle out. The benefit of rain is that it provides dilution of more water, but it is also dragging pollution with it once it hits the ground and moves towards the water body itself.”

When asked if it is safe for people to swim in Lake Anna once the algal advisory is lifted, Smigo said it’s very important for people to look at what level of risk they’re comfortable with. And they have to make that decision for themselves as well as for their family.

She reminds people that swimming in natural water isn’t like a swimming pool where chlorine or some other method is used to clean the water and bring bacteria levels down.

“I think it’s important that we realize that there could always be some level (of bacteria) present,” said Smigo. “And that if you have, let’s say underlying health conditions, if you happen to be pregnant, if you have diabetes, COPD, if you’re a child under five, or if you are older in age and don’t have robust immunity … these are all examples of how you might have less immunity than someone who doesn’t have that underlying condition. So if you meet one of those qualifications, or someone you love does, you would want to think twice about swimming in a natural body of water.”

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John Inglett said his daughter Ava was one of several cases of the illness linked to the lake. The Virginia Department of Health on Monday told Â鶹ąŮÍř in an email that it is investigating “approximately 20 probably cases” and testing the water.

Ava had gone to the lake with friends on Memorial Day. A day later, she started getting sick.

“We thought it was just going to be a quick sickness kind of thing,” Inglett said. “So we let it go a little bit further than we really wanted to, but it ended up in an emergency room visit.”

Inglett said other parents contacted him and his wife, Judy, to let them know their children also came down with a similar illness and that doctors told those parents to keep their children hydrated as it runs its course.

“We were not alarmed until that Friday, when she started having bloody diarrhea and throwing up violently,” Inglett said.

He said they consulted their pediatrician who said the best course of action was to keep Ava hydrated, but when she showed little improvement over time, they decided to take her to the emergency room.

“We’re just going to take her to the ER, maybe just get her on an IV just because, based on what everybody’s telling us, she’s got an issue with being hydrated,” Inglett said. “Later in the afternoon, (they) explained our situation, said, ‘Hey, you know she needs to be on fluids. We think she has E. coli, and it’s not getting any better.”

Doctors also took blood work, and the results showed Ava was in kidney failure.

“I was in just disbelief,” her father added. “It’s just been a whole nightmare for us.”

Ava was later transferred to the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus where she underwent days of dialysis and three blood transfusions.

On Thursday, Ava’s parents said doctors were optimistic that Ava will eventually be able to come off dialysis and be released on Friday.

Both parents believe more should have been done to test the water of Lake Anna and other Virginia lakes, and visitors should be warned about the possible danger of bacteria such as E. coli.

“There needs to be a warning system or a way for people to get more information on, ‘Hey, when I go to this lake, not just Lake Anna but any type of lake, that this could possibly happen,’” Inglett said.

VDH said water testing results could be back as soon as Thursday.

Â鶹ąŮÍř has reached out to the department for an update.

John and Judy are warning other parents to be aware of this risk, which can come with swimming in lakes.

“My daughter went down there 100% healthy, and she came out of there pretty much on life support, hoping that her kidneys will recover,” her father said.

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In a last week, the VDH said some of the hospitalized patients have been diagnosed with Escherichia coli, or E. coli, infections. They said a majority of the reports of the gastrointestinal illness have been seen in children.

Â鶹ąŮÍř news partner whose 15-year-old daughter, after the spending the day at the lake, “has been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome. She’s in kidney failure.”

Both agencies say they don’t have enough information yet to set up a water or swimming advisory for the region, but prompt people to be cautious around the lake and other bodies of water. They recommend anyone suffering with symptoms like stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, fever or chills after being in the lake to receive medical care.

In an email to Â鶹ąŮÍř, VDH communications manager Larry Hill confirmed that DEQ was conducting water testing this week and will announce its results at a later date.

“Again, if anyone is experiencing symptoms that visited Lake Anna since Memorial Day, (they) should get checked by their private physician and notify their local health department. We are looking into several possibilities how this may have occurred and don’t have an answer yet,” Hill said.

To find your nearest local health department,

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According to , “residents in the Sandtown-Winchester and Harlem Park neighborhoods, where water samples originally turned up E. coli over Labor Day weekend, are still under a boil water advisory, in addition to residents in neighborhoods immediately to the west, north and east.”

Those living south of Route 40, who had been placed under a precautionary boil water advisory, will no longer need to boil their water before consuming it, according to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott at a news conference on Wednesday night.

Areas north of Route 40 are still under the precautionary boil water advisory.

• More Maryland News
• More Baltimore, MD News

In a tweet sent out Wednesday night, officials said that “while the bacteria had not originally been detected in Baltimore County water, it was found present in part of West Baltimore and a precautionary advisory was issued for areas just outside of the city.”

(1/2) Baltimore City’s boil water advisory for southwestern Baltimore County has officially been lifted after testing confirmed that E.coli was NOT DETECTED in the County’s water supply. Tap water in Baltimore County is safe to drink and precautionary boiling is not necessary.

— Baltimore County (@BaltCoGov)

On Monday, the city announced that tests showed contaminated water in parts of West Baltimore, which is a majority Black part of the city.

E. coli contamination can cause intestinal distress, with symptoms that include stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting.

As a precautionary measure, those residing in areas where the advisory was lifted are still asked to Ěýby running all faucets for 15 minutes on cold, said Department of Public Works Director Jason Mitchell.

Water will be distributed at the following sites in southwest Baltimore County from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7:

• Baltimore County Public Library’sĚýĚý500 Third Ave., Lansdowne, 21227.
• Fire Station 5, 4501 Washington Blvd., Halethorpe, 21227.
• Our Lady of Victory, 4416ĚýWilkens Ave., Baltimore, 21229

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One day after Baltimore officials informed residents that E. coli spread into parts of the city’s water system and issued a boil-water advisory, advocates are calling for improvements to the city’s water infrastructure.

“No one in Baltimore should have to worry that their family could get sick from the water coming out of their tap,” Emily Scarr, director of the Maryland PIRG Foundation, said Tuesday. “The boil-water advisory is an all-too-often reminder that more needs to be done to protect our water.”

John Rumpler with the non-profit Environment Maryland Research and Policy Center, said the millions of dollars in federal money from the infrastructure plan should be used to update the city’s water system.

“We should treat our water as the precious life-giving resource it is,” said Rumpler, director of the center’s clean water program.

On Monday, the city announced that tests showed contaminated water in parts of West Baltimore, a majority Black part of the city.

The announcement from Baltimore’s Department of Public Works said theĚýĚýaffected 1,500 commercial facilitiesĚýand residences in the city.

The department recommends boiling water for one minute and letting water cool before using it to brush teeth, wash dishes and prepare food.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, E. coli can create intestinal distress such as stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. However, there are rare cases it can cause life-threatening symptoms about a week after infection.

TheĚýĚýpeople not to swallow any contaminated water when bathing or showering.

When the city issued the boil-water advisory Monday, city workers also distributed one gallon of water per household.

On Tuesday, families were offered three gallons of water per household.

The city’s Department of Public Works announced Tuesday evening families can pick up water at three locations, continuing Wednesday at 9 a.m.:

• Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School, 1401 W. Lafayette Ave.
• Middle Branch Park, 3301 Waterview Ave.
• Landsdowne Library, 500 3rd Ave.

The Maryland Department of Health, which is providing regulatory oversight and technical assistance, said in a news release that the “potential threat appears to be limited to the area identified.”

Baltimore Councilmember John Bullock (D), who represents the affected area of the city, said Tuesday he understands some of the frustration from residents in not receiving information sooner.

The city’s public works department discovered the contamination during routine monthly testing Saturday.

“I know I share the same frustration when communication didn’t seem as forthcoming, or as frequent as we would have liked it to be,” Bullock said. “A lot of folks have been calling us. Just continue to keep the lines of communication open and try to help each other along the way.”

As of Tuesday evening, no cause had been determined.

Because the city provides water to parts of neighboring Baltimore County, county officials announced a boil water advisory for residents in the southwestern part of that jurisdiction including Arbutus, Halethorpe and Lansdowne. A statement from Baltimore County noted that no bacteria was detected in the county.

“The health of Baltimore County residents is a top priority, and we want to be sure that everyone in the advisory area is taking all of the necessary precautions,” said County Executive Johnny Olszewski (D). “While Baltimore County does not have operational control of the water system, we are making some of the County’s certified water testers available to assist the city’s efforts in quickly resolving this issue.”

Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City) and other state legislators had already been working before the contamination was found on legislation toĚý.

Washington, who called the city’s current situation a “water crisis,” highlighted a report from the Maryland Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that amplifies ongoing water problems, especially in underserved communities.

“We really need to know what the cause of the contamination is,” she said. “We need to know who is responsible and also need to develop solutions to make sure this doesn’t happen again. This is absolutely calling on the city to ensure this happens.”

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore issued two statements Tuesday.

The first praised Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) for his response to the E. coli contamination and underscored the need for partnership in responding to such a crisis.

“We will work in partnership with Baltimore leaders to ensure that our communities are strong and supported,” Moore said.

In the second statement Moore said, “For too long people in our state continue to get left behind. And that fact becomes painfully clear to us when our fellow Marylanders cannot even access the basic necessities. We must commit to improving our infrastructure and working with stakeholders at every level of leadership to ensure all Marylanders are safe and healthy.”

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King Arthur Flour announced Thursday a voluntary national recall of its 5 lb. and 25 lb. bags ofĚý unbleached all-purpose flour, which it called a precautionary step after E. coli was discovered through sampling at a milling facility in Buffalo, NY.

The Vermont-based company released a list of “best used by” dates ranging between Dec. 2019 and Jan. 2020, and lot codes for the affected products on .

King Arthur Flour said there have been no confirmed reports of illnesses from the product.

This recall comes after a June 13 recall of more than 14,000 cases of its 5 lb. unbleached all-purpose flour.

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All animals in the Kid’s Farm are off-limits after four goats and a cow tested positive for E. coli.

“In the interest of the safety of our guests, and our staff and our animals, the area is now under quarantine and will be closed,” said National Zoo spokeswoman Pamela Baker-Masson.

The zoo routinely tests the animals for E. coli. It was during a test on Feb. 18 that the bacteria, which can cause illness, was found in the droppings of two goats.

The goats were quarantined, and all the animals were tested on Feb. 22.

On Friday, test results showed that four goats and a cow tested positive, which lead to the immediate closure of the exhibit.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, E. coli bacteria lives in a person or animal’s intestines. While most types of the bacteria are harmless, some strains can lead to sickness. Those most at risk of developing an infection are children and adults with weak immune systems.

“The goats were shedding the bacteria, that’s how it came back positive to us but they are not symptomatic,” said Baker-Masson.

So far, no members of the zoo’s staff have become affected by the bacteria, according to Baker-Masson.

All the animals are being treated with antibiotics and the exhibit will remain closed until zoo keepers have three weeks of negative tests from the animals.

Baker-Masson said the popular destination at the zoo could remain closed for at least a month.

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