WASHINGTON — The January collapse of a pipe as wide as a car dumped so much sewage into the Potomac River that officials tracked a spike of gut-wrenching bacteria drifting slowly past Washington for weeks, prompting an emergency declaration and federal assistance.
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Cones sit near an area of Baltimore that previously suffered a sewage backup on March 5.
Michael Phillis, Associated Press
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Teddy Bloomquist, who suffered a sewage backup earlier this year, poses at his home in Baltimore on March 5.
Michael Phillis, Associated Press
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Workers build a cofferdam to stop the flow of raw sewage into the Potomac River after a massive sewage pipe rupture in Glen Echo, Md., Jan. 23.
Cliff Owen, Associated Press
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People walk around Baltimore's Inner Harbor on March 5.
Michael Phillis, Associated Press
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A cone with the letters of the Baltimore City Department of Public Works, which manages the city's wastewater services is visible on March 5.
Michael Phillis, Associated Press
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Wildeman reported from Hartford, Connecticut. Associated Press writers Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, and Gabriela Auon Angueira in San Diego contributed.
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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment .
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