BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Board of Public Works in Annapolis has approved more than $12 million in grants to reduce water pollution and flooding risks. The board is composed of Governor Larry Hogan, Treasurer Dereck E. Davis and Comptroller Peter Franchot. Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford chaired this week’s meeting.

“These are smart investments to advance our Chesapeake Bay goals, protect public health and reduce flooding risks to Maryland communities,” said Maryland Environment Secretary Horacio Tablada.

The following projects have been approved:

Operation and Maintenance of Wastewater Treatment Plants with Enhanced Nutrient Removal Upgrades – Statewide

Bay Restoration Fund grants totaling $11 million will provide funding for the operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants with Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) upgrades. Grants from the Bay Restoration Fund equaling up to 10 percent of the annual fee revenue from wastewater treatment plant users can be provided to fund a portion of an ENR facility’s operation and maintenance. MDE recommended an operation and maintenance grant at a rate of up to $30,000 per million gallons per day of a facility’s design capacity, not to exceed $300,000 per year for any individual plant. In addition to the base-grants, additional grants were recommended for plants achieving better than the enhanced nutrient removal level. The board approved grants ranging from $25,000 to $1,411,585 to a total of 54 facilities across the state. Through ENR upgrades and proper operation, these plants have reduced nitrogen discharged to the Chesapeake Bay by more than 7,895,000 pounds per year and have reduced phosphorus discharged to the bay by more than 928,000 pounds per year. Excessive amounts of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus lead to lowered levels of oxygen needed to support aquatic life in waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay. ENR upgrades of the state’s major wastewater treatment plants are a critical component of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay restoration plan.

Bay View Interceptor Sewer Repair and Stream Restoration project – Cecil County

A $1,749,834 Comprehensive Flood Management Grant to Cecil County will help fund a restoration project at a degraded stream and protect a section of Cecil County’s Stoney Run Interceptor sewer line. The work includes protecting the sewer lines, modifying existing floodplain levels, reducing erosion potential, restoring permanent riparian buffers, creating a stable tie-in to existing upstream and downstream conditions, and other controls. This project is consistent with Maryland’s climate change adaptation and resiliency objectives through the reduction of runoff that is exacerbated by increased precipitation or flooding events.