ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 17, 2006) – Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. announces Board of Public Works approval today of a $569,000 biological nutrient removal state grant to finance the planning and design phases to upgrade the Federalsburg wastewater treatment plant in Caroline County. The Board is comprised of Governor Ehrlich, Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp and Comptroller William D. Schaefer.
“Nutrient removal is an important investment in upgrading wastewater treatment plants,” Governor Ehrlich said. “It is an essential part of Maryland’s long-standing effort toward reducing 40 percent of the amount of nutrients being discharged to the Chesapeake Bay and to meet our commitments under the Chesapeake Bay 2000 Agreement.”
Excess nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, lead to degraded water quality, which negatively impact the ecology of the Bay and its tributaries.
Federalsburg is one of the 66 largest wastewater treatment plants in Maryland targeted for upgrades through funding from the landmark Bay Restoration Fund. The project at the Federalsburg wastewater treatment plant will consist of planning, designing and constructing biological nutrient removal and enhanced nutrient removal facilities that will reduce the plant’s total nitrogen removal to a yearly average of 3 milligrams per liter and 0.3 milligrams per liter for total phosphorus. That is a 63 percent reduction in nitrogen and a 73 percent decrease in phosphorus to the receiving Marshyhope River.
“The Mayor and Council thank Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for supporting our efforts to improve the quality of our Town’s wastewater treatment plant. MDE has provided grant funds for a study which had found our facility was not sufficiently handling the appropriate level for Biological Nutrient Removal discharges,” said Town of Federalsburg Mayor Betty J. Ballas. “We appreciate the financial and technical assistance provided to us by MDE.”
Total cost of the project is more than $5 million of which $962,000 is the local share being paid by Federalsburg. The state’s participation in the project, through MDE’s Water Quality Infrastructure Program, is roughly $3 million. The Board has previously approved more than $1.1 million toward this effort. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant of $450,000 will round out funding of the project.
Construction is expected to begin in October with a completion date of October 2008.
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