BALTIMORE, MD (March 7, 2012) - The Maryland Board of Public Works approved nearly $8 million in grants to reduce pollution, improve water quality and protect drinking water by upgrading a wastewater treatment plant, a drinking water reservoir and a stormwater management facility. The Board is composed of Governor Martin O’Malley, Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot.

“Projects such as these are an important part of our effort to improve Maryland waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay,” said Governor O’Malley. “These projects reduce pollution and protect public health while creating jobs for more Marylanders.”
 

The following projects were approved today in the following locations:

Broadwater Water Reclamation Facility Enhanced Nutrient Removal Upgrade – Anne Arundel County

A $5,400,000 Bay Restoration Fund grant to Anne Arundel County, in addition to a previous $650,000 Bay Restoration Fund grant, will help fund the planning, design and construction of Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) facilities at the two million-gallons-per-day Broadwater Water Reclamation Facility. After the upgrade, the facility will reduce its nitrogen discharge by 62.5 percent and its phosphorus discharge by 85 percent, significantly reducing the amount of nutrients discharged to Deep Creek and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. Excessive amounts of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus lead to lowered levels of oxygen needed to support aquatic life in waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay. Enhanced Nutrient Removal upgrades of the state’s major wastewater treatment plants are a critical component of Maryland’s Draft Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan.

Montebello Finished Reservoir Cover Project – Baltimore City

A $2,500,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant will help fund the design and construction of a covered finished reservoir, along with associated piping, valves and controls, to comply with a settlement agreement between the Maryland Department of the Environment and the City of Baltimore to bring the reservoir into compliance with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule designed to improve drinking water quality and provide additional protection from contaminants. The project will also include improvements to the maintenance shop building and other minor improvements.

Peach Orchard Stormwater Management Retrofit – Anne Arundel County

Capital construction grants totaling $90,455 from the Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Project Funds, Stormwater Pollution Control Program, to Anne Arundel County will help fund the retrofit of the Peach Orchard Stormwater Management facility. The project will allow the facility to meet current stormwater regulations and help reduce the effects of polluted stormwater runoff.

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