Class-action lawsuit filed after the Potomac sewage spill
Source: NPR
March 13, 2026 6:25 PM ET
A class action lawsuit has been filed after a sewer line collapsed and spilled contaminated water into the Potomac River, near Washington, D.C. In January, the collapsed section of the 72-inch Potomac Interceptor dumped about 243 million gallons of raw sewage into the river.
The suit was filed against DC Water, the utility that manages the line. Dr. Nicholas Lailas, a Virginia physician who is also a recreational boat owner, sued the utility for negligence. He is seeking compensation for people "whose property interests in and use and enjoyment of the Potomac River" were impaired. The case claims the utility should have taken more actions, because it had acknowledged that the sewer line showed signs of corrosion before it collapsed.
"DC Water had 10 years to act to prevent this," Steve W. Berman, managing partner of the firm that filed the case, wrote in a statement. "We seek losses for infrastructure failure, physical contamination and other economic damages for a failure of immense proportions." In an emailed statement to NPR, a DC Water spokesperson said that it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on ongoing litigation.
The Potomac River incident is among the largest sewage spills in U.S. history, underscoring the risks communities face from aging infrastructure. The Interceptor sewer line system was built in the early 1960s.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2026/03/13/nx-s1-5746783/potomac-sewage-lawsuit
Link to SUIT (PDF) - https://www.hbsslaw.com/sites/default/files/case-downloads/dc-water-sewage-spill-class-action-lawsuit/2026-03-06-complaint.pdf
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