Report Suggests Baltimore City, Baltimore County Consolidate Operations Of Water Systems

3 years ago 374

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A caller study released connected Monday suggests Baltimore City and Baltimore County consolidate operations of the systems that bring drinking h2o to residents’ homes and dainty wastewater.

The 308-page report, commissioned by the metropolis and the county, said consolidating absorption of the h2o and sewer strategy could little immoderate costs, marque it easier to get low-cost financing for superior projects, amended the reliability of the h2o proviso and supply a elaborate appraisal of the infrastructure systems and problems that plague the existent model, specified arsenic billing.

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Similar organizations beryllium successful Prince George’s and Montgomery counties and the City of Richmond and Henrico County, Va., the study said.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. person formed a moving radical to reappraisal the report’s findings.

“Fixing the issues that person plagued our h2o strategy for decades is simply a precedence for my administration, our residents, and our h2o customers,” Scott said successful a statement. “This broad reappraisal is simply a captious archetypal measurement successful fixing the strategy erstwhile and for all. Transforming our h2o and sewer strategy into 1 that works for each residents and customers is attainable, and present we person a blueprint to usher our efforts.”

Under the existent system, the metropolis provides h2o and wastewater services to 1.8 cardinal residents successful the region, covering each of Baltimore City, ample parts of Baltimore County, and portions of Anne Arundel, Carroll, Howard and Harford counties.

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The metropolis is liable for the cognition and attraction of the h2o organisation strategy and related infrastructure for the full metropolitan area, each h2o filtration facilities, wastewater attraction plans, and the infrastructure that carries wastewater.

Meanwhile, Baltimore County is lone liable for projects that solely payment region residents and the conveyance of its wastewater for treatment.

When this statement was devised successful 1945, the colonisation of the metropolis was 904,000 and the colonisation successful Baltimore County was 213,000, compared with 593,000 and 827,000, respectively, successful 2020.

“This study is simply a captious and agelong overdue measurement towards improving however our jurisdictions tin amended enactment successful concern to modernize our shared h2o system,” Olszewski said successful a statement. “I admit Baltimore City’s committedness to this collaborative effort, and my medication remains unfastened to exploring to each productive paths forward, including information of a determination authorization truthful that we tin champion enactment each our residents.”

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NewGen Strategies & Solutions, a consulting steadfast that studies nationalist and backstage assemblage utilities, wrote the report.

CBS Baltimore Staff

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