The Virginia Department of Health has lifted its remaining recreational water advisory for the Potomac River.
Today’s announcement ends restrictions that had been in place for more than a month following a massive sewage spill that sent millions of gallons of raw waste into the river.
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.
One of the fiercest advocates for action and advocacy after last month’s mass sewage spill has a long background in fighting for the Potomac River.
Potomac Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks was one of the first at the scene of the burst Potomac Interceptor pipe in Montgomery County on Jan. 19.
A coalition of D.C.-area representatives is seeking more funding for infrastructure upgrades as authorities continue to monitor the effects of a massive sewage spill in the Potomac.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) was among 14 members of Congress from the region who requested federal funding today (Tuesday) to rehabilitate and modernize the burst Potomac Interceptor. The delegation is also seeking additional funds for wastewater infrastructure nationwide following a recent briefing on efforts to repair the sewer line and mitigate health risks.
Just because a wipe says it’s “flushable,” that doesn’t mean it’s fit for Arlington’s sewage system.
That’s what the county’s Department of Environmental Services is reminding residents after a wad of wipes contributed to a sewage overflow last week at a ruptured sewage pipe upstream from Arlington on the Potomac River.
WASHINGTON (AP) — For some, it was the children’s luggage and small ice skates that became indelible memories of the night a passenger plane and a helicopter collided over the murky Potomac River. Others remember boats navigating debris and shallow water to bring victims’ bodies ashore. And there was the suddenness: people seconds from landing, gone.
Families of those on board American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter are marking Thursday as the one-year anniversary of the deadliest plane crash on U.S. soil in more than 20 years. Another group is reliving that night and the days, weeks and months that followed: the emergency responders who dove repeatedly into the river with nearly zero visibility, braving cold water, jet fuel and jagged wreckage in the hope of rescuing survivors.
Tests of water samples from the Potomac River are reporting dangerously high levels of E. coli following a rupture in a sewage pipe upstream from Arlington.
The Potomac Riverkeeper Network recorded bacteria levels 60 times higher than what is considered safe for human contact in a sample taken at Fletchers Cove on Friday, the organization announced in a press release yesterday (Monday). This is in D.C., across the river from Potomac Overlook Regional Park.
It won’t be completed until about 2030, but a pedestrian/bicyclist bridge over the Potomac River could bring more people to the Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center in Crystal City.
“It’s going to be a huge boost,” predicted Hamilton Humes of the Arlington Sports Commission, speaking at the body’s Dec. 18 meeting.
A pair of Arlington entrepreneurs have partnered with a local taqueria to debut a new cantina-themed booze cruise on the Potomac River.
Sea Suite Cruises’ new “Cantina Cruises” party boat, which debuted on the Fourth of July, comes with a full-service bar plus chips and salsa courtesy of District Taco. Private parties can also get catering from the regional taco chain.
Construction on a new four-track bridge, meant to expand rail traffic between Arlington and D.C., is expected to get underway later this month.
The $1 billion undertaking by the development firm Skanska and infrastructure company FlatironDragados is on track to begin in the coming weeks, Skanska announced in a press release yesterday (Monday).
A 20-year-old Arlington man out fishing near the Chain Bridge caught the biggest catfish of his life this week.
Stanley “Sebby” Brock III arrived at his usual fishing spot around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, hoping to catch some shad or striped bass during their annual migration. He cast his first line and, about 10 seconds later, felt a tug on his pole, he said.
With warmer days ahead, an outdoor pizza restaurant and wine bar on the Potomac River waterfront will soon make its seasonal return.
Catboat Pizza Bar plans to reopen next month at the Washington Sailing Marina in Alexandria, offering fresh pizza, drinks and lawn games with picturesque views. It will be the restaurant’s second season on the water at 1 Marina Drive.
