It’s no secret that the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States has had an exceptionally cold and snowy beginning of 2026. In areas like Washington, D.C., the combination of snow, sleet, and weeks of sub-freezing temperatures led to major infrastructure failures, including unplowed streets, closed schools, and intermittent electrical power disruptions. Perhaps the most consequential infrastructure failure In the region occurred when a massive sewage pipe in Montgomery County, Maryland, froze and burst, releasing millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into the Potomac River. This triggered widespread environmental and public-health concerns which are monitored and treated using biotechnology.
What happened?
The combination of cold temperatures and aging sewer lines led to multiple failures of the wastewater system. The first pipe burst on January 19, allowing between 240 million and 300 million gallons of raw sewage to enter the Potomac river before emergency bypass systems were installed. Subsequent failures, including one on Super Bowl Sunday, have released more wastewater into the local watershed. This second failure could be linked to the use of non-flushable wipes entering the sewage system, which formed a massive clog in the pipes. Activation of existing backup systems were able to divert most of the sewage into an alternative wastewater system, but it was not complete. As a result, coliform bacteria in the Potomac River and surrounding area remain high.
What are coliform bacteria and why did the levels rise?
Coliform bacteria are non-pathogenic bacteria that are generally found in the mammalian gut at high concentrations. Because they are found in the human gut, they can be used as a marker for sewage leakage. After the pipes burst, monitoring detected concentrations of coliform bacteria that greatly exceeded the safe recreational level at some locations near the sewage spills. While coliform bacteria themselves are not always dangerous, their presence indicates that other disease-causing pathogens like harmful bacteria or viruses may also be present in the bodies of water. Common waterborne pathogens include cholera, dysentery, E. coli, and Listeria.
What are the health impacts of pipe breaks?
Pathogens infect their host and the body’s resources to survive, replicate, and spread, which leads to illnesses ranging from mild ailments, such as a rash or cold, to life-threatening infections. People can be infected when they come into direct contact with polluted water by drinking, swimming in, bathing in, or even inhaling tiny water drops (aerosols). Waterborne pathogens can also be spread when contaminated water is used to irrigate food crops, causing infection later when the food is consumed.
What is the impact on the environment and public health?
Monitoring water for pathogens remains a critical component of water management and environmental health. Surveillance enables authorities to rapidly issue public alerts, initiate targeted treatments, and/or secure alternative water sources. These actions prevent outbreaks, minimize response costs, and save lives. Regular water monitoring also helps regulators to assess the effectiveness of water treatment and delivery systems while tracking broader environmental health trends.
In this case, the pathogens did not enter the drinking water supply, but they did enter recreational bodies of water. Local and regional health agencies issued non-contact advisories, recommending that residents avoid swimming, wading, or allowing pets into the water. Luckily, the sub-freezing weather has kept most people out of the water! The larger concerns now is that the high bacterial load can harm aquatic ecosystems by infecting or stressing fish and other local wildlife. The contamination can also spread downstream as temperatures rise and snow melts and runs off into the rivers. This can bring the pollution to downstream bodies of water.
What happens next?
D.C. Water and other local advocacy groups will continue to monitor the levels of coliform bacteria in the water. Public health groups will begin to start sampling and communicating risk to the local community. Temporary bypass systems have been implemented while repairs are made to the primary sewage pipes. As the snow melts and spring begins the rain, most of the bacteria will be diluted and the levels will decline. The bigger problem is that the aging infrastructure may cause problem in the future, which will need to be addressed to prevent this from happening again.
How can I teach this in the classroom?
Edvotek has a series of water testing kits that can be used with simulated water samples or real environmental water samples.
- Chromogenic Analysis of Water Contaminants
- Water Quality Testing III: Multiplex PCR Testing of Water Contaminants
- From Field to Flask: Investigating Nitrogen’s Impact on Waterways
- How Clean is the Water We Drink and the Air We Breathe?
- We are also hosting a citizen science project that identifies microbes in bodies of water which is available at iNaturalist.
For current news articles:
Science 4 Everyone: What can be done about pollution in the Potomac sewage spill
Non-disposable wipes cause another sewage spill into the Potomac
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