Source: https://www.insurancejournal.com/, April 21, 2026
By: Andrew G. Simpson/>

The state of Maryland and the federal government have filed separate civil lawsuits over the rupture of the sanitary pipeline known as the Potomac Interceptor that spilled more than 200 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Potomac River in January.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and the Maryland Department of the Environment are suing DC Water, the utility that operates the pipeline, seeking penalties and damages for costs associated with the contamination and a court order requiring full restoration of the site. The suit alleges that DC Water violated state pollution laws because it was “aware that the over half-century-old Potomac Interceptor showed signs of corrosion yet failed to properly assess the risks and delayed initiating capital improvements.” Read more.