DC Water warning Soapstone visitors away due to sewer leak

(In this update, DC Water confirms that it is a sewer leak, and reveals more about the location.)

This sign is greeting visitors at the Soapstone Valley trailhead just to the east of Connecticut Avenue on Albemarle Street.

Reader Ellie Pfefferman alerted us with a comment on this story:

“Today when I hiked it there was a sign at the northbound trailhead–near Connecticut & Albermarle, with all the construction, that read: “Warning: Do Not Enter. No swimming, walking, or fishing. SPILL IN THE AREA AVOID CONTACT. For more information call the DC Water Emergency Command Center 202-612-3400. I called and they said it’s probably over-sewage, but to call back on Monday to find out more. Do you know anything more about this? Thanks!”

Repeated calls to the Command Center Saturday resulted in a busy signal. We had more luck reaching out to DC Water on Twitter:

@foresthillsnews It’s a sewer leak. We hung signs as a precaution until we can determine issue. We should have more definitive info Monday

— DC Water (@dcwater) July 11, 2015

We’re hoping this “more definitive info” sheds some light on the cause. Is it an excess of stormwater runoff, or a breakdown in the aging sewer system running through the valley?

DC Water is hosting a public meeting on July 28th to update the community on its plans to rehabilitate the sewers in Soapstone. You can find more background here, and stay tuned for the time and place of the July 28th meeting.