The Virginia Department of Health has partially lifted a recreational water advisory for the Potomac River, though the warning remains in place for a 4.7-mile stretch upstream of Chain Bridge.
VDH issued the advisory on Feb. 13 out of caution following a sewage spill in the Potomac that occurred Jan. 19 and subsequent sewage discharges in early February. The situation has been monitored by Virginia, Maryland and D.C. since then, and a bipartisan group of D.C.-area lawmakers recently sought additional federal funding for the repairs and cleanup.
VDH announced Thursday afternoon that the advisory was lifted effective immediately for the portion of the river from Chain Bridge south to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge in King George County.
Water quality sampling by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality on Feb. 17, 25, 26 and 27 found bacteria concentrations at levels acceptable for all recreational water use in that area.
The advisory remains in effect from the American Legion Memorial Bridge (I-495) in Fairfax County to Chain Bridge, however. Sampling by the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment and DC Water continues to show elevated E. coli levels near the spill site, VDH said.
The agency is advising Virginia residents to avoid recreational water activities in that stretch of the river, including swimming, wading, tubing and kayaking, “where full-body submersion is more likely to occur.”
VDH said it has observed no evidence of impacts to drinking water.
For those who cannot avoid contact with the water in the advisory area, the agency recommends washing skin promptly with soap and water, rinsing any items that come in contact with the river, and seeking medical care if adverse health effects develop. When harvesting fish or crabs, VDH advises discarding skin and organs and cooking meat to proper temperature.
Updates on the repair status are available from DC Water. Additional information on Virginia impacts is available at VDH’s Potomac sewage spill page.
