The latest incident on Wednesday prompted the evacuation of the Treasury Building near the White House. While the Environmental Protection Agency continued to test water samples taken from the system, officials were speculating that chemicals were involved.
"It has gasoline or acetone-like qualities," said Libby Lawson, a spokeswoman for the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority.
The agency operates the 63-year-old Blue Plains Sewage Treatment Plant, the largest wastewater treatment facility in the world, with a capacity of 300 million gallons per day. It also runs the pumping stations that process all wastewater produced in the city of 572,000.
Since Jan, 9, workers at the main pumping station have complained of chemical fumes on three separate occasions. Fumes have been detected emanating from pumps that lift wastewater and storm run-off to the facility where it is treated before being deposited in the Potomac River.
"Chemicals could have been poured into any storm sewer, ditch or into any drain. It's all the same system," Lawson said.
Officials were considering the possibility that a small contractor who collects hazardous materials from industrial sites may be bypassing approved disposal methods to save money.
"There's obviously a pattern where the dumping may be occurring," said Ted Gordon, chief operating officer of the city's health department.
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