About 75 people packed Glen Echo Town Hall in person, and many more were online, raising concerns about odor and cleanup after a Potomac River sewage spill as officials said conditions are improving.<\/p>\n
People affected by the massive raw sewage spill into the Potomac River earlier this year shared ongoing concerns at a public meeting in Glen Echo, Maryland, on Monday night.\n<\/p>\n
About 75 people packed Glen Echo Town Hall in person, and more joined online. Many did not give their names but raised a range of concerns.<\/p>\n
One man described the lingering smell of sewage: \u201cI always open the window and it\u2019s putrid!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur hometown river deserves better and our communities do as well,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Another woman raised a similar concern: \u201cIt\u2019s really bad. I\u2019m smelling it from my car on Clara Barton and on the bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials said during the meeting that part of the ventilation system designed to neutralize odors is damaged. They outlined plans for a chemical dosing system upstream intended to reduce the smell.<\/p>\n
Others complained about the cleanup process, with one attendee saying, \u201cWe\u2019re extremely disappointed in the product and the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Gadis, CEO of D.C. Water, told the crowd he knows this was a \u201chorrific incident.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have done everything we can up to this date, and we will continue to hang in here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Zachary Schafer, assistant secretary of Maryland Department of the Environment, told the crowd conditions in the river are improving.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall bacteria levels, specifically e-coli, are very very low in the water column,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
D.C. Water is seeking public input on its restoration plan, which can be viewed on its website.<\/a><\/p>\n