Maryland provides grants to support water treatment plant upgrades

The Maryland Board of Public Works in the US has allocated $37m in financing for the modernisation of wastewater treatment plants in the state.

The grants will help reduce water pollution and improve water quality by funding the upgrade of two wastewater treatment plants, a facility to treat combined sewer overflows and the creation of a living shoreline.

About $33.49m has been approved to assist the planning, design and construction of enhanced nutrient removal (ENR) facilities at the Sod Run wastewater treatment plant, which has a capacity of 20 million gallons-per-day.

Upon completion of upgrades, the facility will reduce its nitrogen and phosphorus discharges to the Bush River and the Chesapeake Bay by 62.5% and 85% respectively.

About $2.6m will fund the planning, design and construction of ENR facilities at the Joppatowne wastewater treatment plant, which has a capacity of 95,000 gallons-per-day in Harford County.

Upon completion, the facility also will reduce its nitrogen and phosphorus discharges to the Gunpowder River and the Chesapeake Bay by 62.5% and 85% respectively.

A $1m Chesapeake Bay water quality grant has been allocated to the City of Cumberland to help fund the planning and design of a facility for storage and subsequent treatment of combined sewer overflows before discharge into the Potomac River.

The project, which is part of the Cumberland combined sewer overflow improvements project, will reduce overflows of untreated wastewater with bacteria and other pollutants to the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.

Meanwhile, the Chesapeake Bay Trust has secured a $354,000 water quality state revolving loan fund for the construction of stone breakwaters, a sand beach and marsh and upland plants to create about 3.5 acres of new wetlands in Anne Arundel County.

Image: The upgrades at Sod Run wastewater treatment plant will reduce nutrient discharges into the Chesapeake Bay and the Bush River. Photo: Jennifer Schmidt.