ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 30, 2003) – Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. announced Board of Public Works approval today of a $2 million grant for the Town of Centreville (Queen Anne’s County) to upgrade the municipality’s existing wastewater treatment plant to a biological nutrient removal (BNR) system and expands its treatment capacity.

“Nutrient removal at wastewater treatment plants is essential for the success of Maryland’s effort to achieve a 40 percent reduction in the amount of nutrients discharged to the Chesapeake Bay,” Governor Ehrlich said.

Excess nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, lead to degraded water quality, which negatively impact the ecology of the Bay and its tributaries.

The project upgrade to Centreville’s existing wastewater treatment plant includes the construction of facilities to allow the plant to achieve BNR to an annual average level of 6 milligrams per liter of total nitrogen and expand its treatment capabilities to 500,000 gallons of wastewater per day. The project also allows the seasonal use of treated wastewater for spray irrigation.

“The Town Council of Centreville is pleased to be a partner with the state in the BNR program,” said Centreville Town Council President Donna S. Turner. “This project will be beneficial in many ways. This is a project that will help protect the Corsica River and the Chesapeake Bay and also help replenish ground waters. We are pleased that the state is helping to fund this worthwhile project.”

The total cost of the project is more than $9.66 million, of which $5.96 million is the local share. The remaining balance of the cost will be provided through another state grant being issued later. The grant dollars will come from the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Water Quality Infrastructure Program.

Construction on the upgrade began in late March and is slated for completion next spring.

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