Baltimore, Maryland (December 15, 2010) – The Maryland Board of Public Works approved $28.87 million in grants to reduce pollution and improve water quality by restoring a stream and upgrading septic systems and a major wastewater treatment plant. The Board is composed of Governor Martin O’Malley, Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp, and Comptroller Peter Franchot.

"These projects significantly reduce nitrogen and sediment pollution, and put people to work across the state," said Governor Martin O'Malley. 

The following projects were approved in the following locations:

Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Biological Nutrient Removal and Enhanced Nutrient Removal – Baltimore City

A grant increase of $4,160,000 from the Bay Restoration Fund and $20,039,461 from the Biological Nutrient Removal Program, in addition to previous funding of $133 million in grants and loans from state and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act sources, will fund the planning, design, and construction of the Enhanced Nutrient Removal facilities at the existing 73 million-gallon-per-day (mgd) Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant.  After the upgrade, the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant will reduce its nitrogen discharge by 83 percent and phosphorous discharge by 85 percent, significantly reducing nutrients discharged to the Patapsco River and ultimately to the Chesapeake Bay.

Upgrade Septic Systems – Statewide

Grants up to $4,174,000 will provide funding for counties to upgrade on-site sewage disposal (septic) systems to significantly reduce the discharge of nitrogen, the most serious pollutant in the Chesapeake Bay. Counties will focus on upgrading septic systems located within the Critical Area. The typical septic system does not remove nitrogen, instead delivering about 30 pounds of nitrogen per year to the groundwater. An upgraded, nitrogen-removing septic system cuts a system’s nitrogen load in half.

Booze Creek Stream Restoration – Montgomery County

This $500,000 grant from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund will restore an additional 2,300 linear feet of Booze Creek in the Cabin John Creek Watershed to address effects of urbanization, sedimentation, channel enlargement, exposed utilities, and degraded in-stream habitat.  Once complete, the project will reduce pollution from sediment, nutrients, and potential sewer line leaks into the Creek and ultimately into the Chesapeake Bay. 

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