Posted on 02/18/26
| News Source: FOX45
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is fighting back against President Donald Trump's accusations that the governor is to blame for the massive sewage leak in the Potomac Interceptor pipe.
Moore addressed the President's comments at the start of a Board of Public Works meeting on Wednesday.
RELATED | Trump says FEMA will handle Potomac River sewage spill cleanup
"Before we get started, I know that everybody has seen the President’s tweet about the sewage pipe spill. It is typically unhinged. It is riddled with insults—but it's also riddled with massive inaccuracies, " Moore said.
Moore is referring to a Truth Social post Trump put online Monday."There is a massive Ecological Disaster unfolding in the Potomac River as a result of the Gross Mismanagement of Local Democrat Leaders, particularly, Governor Wes Moore," the President posted online.
Moore put the blame back on the federal government.
"For the past century, the federal government has been responsible for the Potomac Interceptor. The sewage pipe that he is talking about is on federal land. And over these past four weeks, the Trump-Vance Administration has failed to act," Moore said.
He added that the EPA was invited to a hearing in the Maryland General Assembly about the cleanup process, but said the agency "refused to attend."
"So Maryland will continue monitoring and remain engaged throughout the full remediation, and continue to partner with leaders in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia as part of our larger coordinated response," the governor said.
Moore said he welcomes federal involvement in the sewage response.
"If this federal administration shows up to take action, Maryland will work collaboratively—as we always do—to be responsive and help to keep our people informed about the plan to remediate change," the governor said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the sewage pipe break during a briefing on Wednesday.
"The next step in this process is for any of the three local jurisdictions involved — whether that's the Commonwealth of Virginia, the state of Maryland and Gov. Moore, or the District of Columbia — to step forward and to ask the federal government for help, and to ask for the Stafford Act to be implemented here, so that the federal government can go and take control of this local infrastructure that has been abandoned and neglected by Gov. Moore in Maryland for far too long," she said.
Leavitt also took a swing at Maryland's infrastructure overall.
"It's no secret that Maryland's water and infrastructure have been in dire need of repair. Their infrastructure has received a nearly failing grade in the 2025 report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers. This is the same grade they've received five years earlier. There has been no improvement under the leadership of Gov. Moore," she said.
Trump said on Monday in the post that he was directing federal involvement, writing, “Therefore, I am directing Federal Authorities to immediately provide all necessary Management, Direction, and Coordination to protect the Potomac, the Water Supply in the Capital Region, and our treasured National Resources in our Nation’s Capital City.” He added, “FEMA, which is currently being defunded by the Democrats, will play a key role in coordinating the response.”
"The federal government has been preparing plans," Leavitt said Wednesday. "We, the White House, has been in contact with FEMA, with the Army Corps of Engineers, with the Environmental Protection Agency. Again, we've been standing by. This is a problem we want to fix, not just for the federal government, but for everyone who lives in the District of Columbia."
7News has reached out to the White House for a response to the governor's comments. This story will be updated if we receive a response.
The University of Maryland’s School of Public Health called the incident “one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.” In a news release, the school said it detected fecal-related bacteria and pathogens in water testing after the spill, “raising urgent public health concerns and underscoring the risks posed by aging sewer infrastructure.”
E. Coli levels were found to be almost 2,000 times higher than safe standards, according to a DC Water test. However, a test conducted by the University of Maryland levels up to 10,000 times higher in the days immediately after the collapse.
Health and environmental officials from Prince George's and Montgomery counties, D.C., and Virginia have officially released advisories for people and pets to avoid the river.Right now, DC Water is working on an interim fix, which is expected to take four to six weeks to complete, according to spokesperson John Lisle.