A class action lawsuit has been brought following a sewer line collapse that released contaminated water into the Potomac River, near Washington, D.C. In January, a segment of the 72-inch Potomac Interceptor broke, releasing approximately 243 million gallons of raw sewage into the river.

The lawsuit was filed against DC Water, the utility responsible for managing the line. Dr. Nicholas Lailas, a Virginia-based doctor and recreational boat owner, sued the utility for negligence. He seeks compensation for individuals whose property interests in and use of the Potomac River were harmed. The case argues that the utility should have implemented additional preventive measures after recognizing signs of corrosion in the sewer line, prior to its collapse.

“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.”

The Potomac River spill ranks as one of the largest sewage releases in U.S. history, highlighting the dangers posed by aging infrastructure to communities. The Interceptor sewer line system, built in the early 1960s, illustrates a widespread problem across the country. Many sewer systems, especially combined ones that handle both wastewater and stormwater, tend to overflow during heavy rainfall. This issue worsens with population growth, which adds more stress to aging systems.

Additionally, climate change makes the problem worse, as higher temperatures lead to more intense storms that bring heavier rain in shorter timeframes, overwhelming sewer and stormwater infrastructure.