Reuse of some treated water will also help by diverting it from the Patuxent River.
The understanding with state officials was to allow the expansion to accommodate more development, but with a renewed commitment to lower the amount of nitrogen sent into the river and thus into Chesapeake Bay. The plant was opened in 1962 with a 1 million gallons daily capacity, and it has had six expansions and upgrades since then.
Wastewater treatment plant upgrades continue to be the workhorses of bay restoration, said Shari Wilson, Maryland’s secretary of the environment. The Little Patuxent wastewater reclamation plant project, Wilson said, should reduce nitrogen going into the river by 62% and phosphorus by 85%.
I don’t have enough superlatives to tell you how important this is, Wilson told a crowd of county workers, public officials and construction company executives gathered under a large white tent on the site.
Maryland is providing $35 million of the cost from the Bay Restoration Fund, and another $18 million in loans. Howard county’s share is $47 million.
I just think this is a great day for the bay. It’s great to see this become a reality, Howard county Executive Ken Ulman told the crowd.
Jenn Aiosa, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s senior scientist for Maryland, also praised the project.
This is the flush fee at work, Aiosa said.
Council Chairwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, who sits on the Patuxent River Commission, said that the project would help the state turn a corner in restoring the Chesapeake Bay. Increasing the reuse of treated water will help achieve that goal, she said.
The construction of the project also marks a milestone for the county, according to Public Works Director James M. Irvin.
This is the biggest, most complex and demanding project we’ve ever built, Irvin said.
