Sure, you may have your river water more, um, feces-enriched than before thanks to the failure of the Potomac Interceptor rupture. Sure, the sewage pipe’s failure is so massive that the media is calling it the “Pooptomac” disaster. (USA Today’sphraseology, not mine; I’d never be so juvenile as to say that, I’d just repeat it.) Sure, aging infrastructure is apparently to blame for the disaster, which has led to the spillage of roughly 240 million gallons of untreated sewage flowing into the Potomac River — the biggest spill in U.S. history.

But cheer up: DC Water, the authority that controls the pipeline, has less white guys than it used to! Doesn’t that make you feel better?E. colifor racial justice, that’s what I always say.

In a 2022 video that’s going viral for all the wrong reasons now, DC Water CEO David Gadis talked about implementing DEI principles at the agency, which was apparently a priority despite the fact that aging infrastructure was very clearly an issue.

The collapse happened on Jan. 19 near the Clara Barton Parkway in Montgomery County, Maryland; the 72-inch-wide pipe normally carries about 60 million gallons of waste per day.

As perThe New York Times, from Tuesday:

The sewage flooded into the river unencumbered for about a week, until D.C. Water, the utility that owns and operates the sewer line, was able to divert it to a section of pipe downstream that runs to a water treatment facility. But there have been intermittent sewage spills as recently as Feb. 10, and the utility expects it will be four to six weeks before the pipe is repaired.

Drinking water has not been affected. But initial testing found elevated levels of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria that causes Staph infections, as well as antibiotic-resistant MRSA, prompting concern about the impact on boating, fishing and other recreational activities that have been flourishing in recent years.

In anopen letterpublished last week, Gadis said that his agency had “prioritized frequent communication with the public and our oversight partners” but heard the concerns of residents.

“We recognize that describing response actions and infrastructure details does not erase the environmental impact or the concern this incident caused. For those who live near the river, recreate on it, or work every day to protect it, witnessing this unfold was distressing. We hear that clearly,” he wrote.

“This incident has also underscored a broader reality facing utilities across the country: much of the infrastructure that protects our waterways was built decades ago, long before today’s environmental standards, population growth, and climate pressures. The Potomac Interceptor – more than 60 years old – is a critical regional asset, conveying wastewater from across the metropolitan area to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. Its failure reinforces why sustained investment and vigilance are essential.”

Source: VidNews » Feed