President Trump Declares Disaster After Sewage System Failure in Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump approved a federal disaster declaration on Saturday in response to a catastrophic sewer failure in Washington. The declaration was issued at the request of District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, who had previously declared a state of emergency. This enables the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to take over coordination of repair efforts and provide federal financial assistance. The failure concerns a main sewer interceptor called the Potomac Interceptor, which collapsed and ruptured in January. Since then, hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage have leaked into the Potomac River. According to estimates by The Washington Post, the volume of the leak has exceeded 234 million gallons. Authorities have issued a water quality warning and restricted public access to the river, although according to the latest information from Friday, these restrictions may be lifted soon as work progresses and the situation improves. The water and sewer infrastructure in many U.S. cities, including Washington, is often over a hundred years old and in poor technical condition. The problem of pipes clogged by so-called 'flushable wipes' (moist towelettes marketed as flushable) has been reported by municipal utilities across the country for at least a decade, as these materials do not break down sufficiently in sewer systems.Mayor Bowser, in a letter to President Trump, emphasized that the scale of the damage exceeds the local government's capabilities. „The magnitude and complexity of this incident exceed the District of Columbia's capability to respond effectively.” — Mayor Muriel Bowser The incident also has political and image significance, as it poses a serious problem just months before the summer celebrations of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which are to be held in the capital.234 mln gal — estimated amount of sewage that entered the riverThe preliminary investigation conducted by DC Water points to the likely cause of the failure. As reported by The Washington Post, the pipes were blocked by an accumulation of non-degradable materials, particularly moist wipes, which are often advertised as 'flushable' but in reality do not break down quickly. This problem is not new; as early as 2021, a similar blockage caused issues at a sewage pumping station in the Anacostia neighborhood. Temporary bypass pumps, installed after the failure, also failed in the period after the Super Bowl, suggesting that increased use of the sewer network during major events further strains the already vulnerable infrastructure. Evolution of the Crisis Situation: : → ; : → ; : → Currently, DC Water, with FEMA support, continues repair work and the investigation into the full cause of the pipe collapse. FEMA confirmed it is assisting the District with site cleanup and repairs. The presidential declaration paves the way for federal funding to accelerate the cleanup of the ecological disaster. The contamination of the Potomac poses a serious threat to the river ecosystem and may have long-term environmental consequences. The case also highlights the broader, nationwide problem of aging municipal infrastructure and misleading marketing practices by hygiene product manufacturers.Liberal media emphasize infrastructure neglect and the environmental problem, pointing to long-term underfunding of public services. | Conservative media focus on the effective response of the Trump administration and the swift resolution of the crisis by federal authorities.