Baltimore, Maryland (March 18, 2009) – Today, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) Secretary Shari T. Wilson and Mayor Carroll A. Jones dedicated the wastewater treatment plant in Brunswick, Frederick County, that has just been upgraded to reduce pollution into the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.

During the event, speakers -- including Secretary Wilson and Brunswick’s Mayor Jones -- cut a ribbon dedicating the plant and those in attendance took a brief tour of the new facility.

“This project is an example of how citizens are cleaning up the Bay. The monthly charge each Marylander pays on his or her water and sewer bill provides the funds to pay for the upgrades of wastewater treatment plants with state of the art technology,” said Secretary of the Environment Shari T. Wilson. “The upgrade to enhanced nutrient removal will help us to meet nutrient reduction goals for the Chesapeake Bay."

In 2004, the Maryland General Assembly created the Bay Restoration Fund to provide a dedicated source of funding to upgrade wastewater treatment plants. The result is that all of Maryland’s 66 major wastewater treatment plants will have enhanced nutrient removal (ENR), which will significantly reduce the nitrogen and phosphorous loads into the receiving rivers and ultimately to the Chesapeake Bay.

The upgrade of the Brunswick WWTP involved the planning, design and construction to replace Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) technology with Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) facilities and expansion of the existing treatment capacity from 0.7 MGD (Million Gallons per Day) to 1.4 MGD. Construction on the ENR upgrade began in September 2006. The total cost of the project was over $14.6 million. The Bay Restoration Fund provided over $12 million, with the additional $2.4 million provided by local funds.

The Brunswick WWTP will improve effluent quality with annual average nutrient goals of 3 mg/l for Total Nitrogen and 0.3 mg/l for Total Phosphorous. This reduces the yearly load of nitrogen by 83% and the yearly load of phosphorous by 90%. These improvements will significantly decrease the amount of nutrients discharged into the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. The resulting water quality will help protect the environment and the public health of Maryland's citizens.

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