Take action for the Potomac River

Potomac River, Virginia | Alan Lehman

Protect the Potomac River: The Nation’s River at a Crossroads

Flowing more than 380 miles from the mountains of West Virginia to the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River is one of the most iconic and consequential rivers in the United States. Its watershed spans roughly 14,700 square miles across Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC—connecting forests, farms, and major metropolitan areas.

In January 2026, the collapse of a major sewer line along the Potomac River resulted in the release of hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage, with contamination persisting for weeks and likely recurring during the extended repair period. This event underscores the threat of aging infrastructure to our rivers; not just in the nation’s capital, but across the country. Coupled with a lack of transparency, decades of progress can be erased in a matter of days.

In addition, the Potomac River watershed faces an unprecedented surge in data center development, particularly in Northern Virginia and portions of Maryland. Because of their intense use of water, these facilities pose a serious and growing threat to both water quality and water quantity, yet are being approved with limited transparency, truncated regulatory review, and insufficient assessment of cumulative impacts.

The wait and see approach is no longer an option, the time for action on the Potomac is now!

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Dear {contact_data~salutation},

Flowing more than 380 miles from the mountains of West Virginia through the nation’s capital to the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River is one of the most iconic and consequential rivers in the United States. Its watershed spans roughly 14,700 square miles across Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC—connecting forests, farms, and major metropolitan areas.

Serving more than 6 million people within the basin, the Potomac is vital for community recreation, booming river and fishery businesses, and drinking water. As the second-largest tributary to the Chesapeake Bay, its health is inseparable from the health of the Bay itself.
The January 2026 collapse of a major sewer line along the Potomac River resulted in the release of hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage, with contamination persisting for weeks and recurring during the extended repair period. This event underscores a critical reality: aging infrastructure can erase decades of progress in a matter of days.

Clean water is essential to both people and rivers. Yet across the country, aging infrastructure, extreme weather, and rising costs threaten safe drinking water and flood protection—especially in low-income, rural, and Tribal communities. The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) is a proven tool that empowers states to invest in wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and nature-based solutions. Reauthorizing and strengthening the SRF will ensure continued federal-state partnerships are committed to clean water access, job creation, and effectively addressing real community concerns. Further in need of authorization, the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program is a nimble grant program that provides funds for communities in need of immediate sewer and stormwater upgrades.

To empower American communities and avoid their experiencing infrastructure-related crises not unlike the one endured by the DC metro region, it is paramount that Congress reauthorize both the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund bill and the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program. Both of these programs will become discontinued if not Congressionally reauthorized by September 2026.

Please expedite reauthorization of both the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund bill and the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program before these crucial safeguards expire.

Respectfully,

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