'Water is getting cleaner': Officials share water quality report of Baltimore's Inner Harbor
BALTIMORE - Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott met with leaders of the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore and Department of Public Works to discuss the harbor's water quality report.
The "Harbor Heartbeat" report is an annual update on harbor health based on water quality data gathered by Blue Water Baltimore in 2021 and analyzed by the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore's Healthy Harbor Initiative.
According to the report that shows a full picture of the harbor's health, the the data focused on major events from the previous year, including updates on milestones like major reductions in sewer overflows due to repair projects and the reduction of waterborne litter due to the state's ban of foam containers and the installation of a new trash wheel in the Gwynns Falls.
The report also details setbacks resulting from systemic issues at the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Additionally, the data also focused on the future by introducing environmental consulting firm Biohabitats as the lead planner for the Baltimore Blueway, a network of water-based trails for paddlers dotted with public access points.
"We know that the Harbor will have good days and bad days, but overall problems are being fixed and the data show that the water is getting cleaner. It's time to embrace the Harbor as a recreational resource for the residents of Baltimore City," said Adam Lindquist, vice president of environmental programs at Waterfront Partnership. "As the Baltimore Blueway master plan continues to get underway, water quality is and will continue to be a vital part of our work."
Here are some of the key findings in the report:
- Majority of Monitoring Sites Have Good Or Improving Bacteria Scores
While bacteria scores vary greatly by time and location, we are excited to see that the long-term positive trends first identified in 2020 continue at many sampling sites throughout the Harbor and streams. Of the 50 sites analyzed, 80% are either improving (meaning less harmful bacteria was found) or consistently scoring very high.
- Maryland Foam Container Ban Has Huge Impact on Harbor Health
Prior to the implementation of a statewide ban on foam containers in October 2020, Mr. Trash Wheel routinely collected over 100,000 foam containers per year. Since the ban went into effect, Mr. Trash Wheel has seen an 80% reduction in the number of foam containers being pulled from the Jones Falls. This demonstrates the immediate and profound impact that using legislation to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics can have on the health of our waterways and the animals that call them home.
- Sewer Overflows Decrease by 64% in 2021
In 2020, Baltimore City flipped the "on" switch for a $430 million-dollar sewer system upgrade known as the Headworks Project. As a result, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works reported a 64% reduction in sewer overflows by volume in 2021. Additional reductions in sewer overflows are anticipated as system repairs and improvements continue.
- Failing Treatment Plant Hampers Harbor Progress
In spring 2021, water monitoring conducted by Blue Water Baltimore detected elevated bacteria levels coming from the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant outfall located in the tidal Patapsco River near South Baltimore.
The group notified the Maryland Department of the Environment, which promptly sent inspectors to the facility. The inspection uncovered major systemic problems at the plant resulting in partially treated sewage being discharged into the river. Additional inspections found similar problems at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The pollution released by the Patapsco Treatment Plant increased bacteria levels and contributed to some of the poorest ecosystem health scores ever recorded, which caused large algae blooms throughout the Harbor.
Click here for the full report.