Environmental Disasters and Water Safety

President Trump approved FEMA emergency assistance for Washington, D.C., after a Jan. 19 rupture of a DC Water Potomac Interceptor sent roughly 240–250 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac; DC officials say the leak is largely contained, DC Water and the EPA have been coordinating repairs (using bypass pumps) and full fixes could take weeks. The move comes amid a partisan dispute—Mayor Bowser formally requested federal disaster aid while Trump blamed Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and local leaders for “mismanagement,” and state and local officials say federal agencies were already involved and dispute the president’s characterization.