Funding approved for improvements at Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant and connecting homes on Southern Kent Island to public sewer lines
BALTIMORE (January 28, 2026) – The Maryland Department of the Environment today announced the Board of Public Works has approved more than $29 million in new funding to support two major clean water initiatives: improvements at the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant in Baltimore and the continuation of an effort to move homes off polluting septic systems on Kent Island.
The funding includes more than $18 million for equipment repairs and rehabilitation to ensure the Patapsco facility remains on a path to comply with an agreement to address unauthorized discharges of pollution and meet its permit requirements. The total state investment in this project for the Moore-Miller Administration is more than $87 million in grants and loans.
“These infrastructure improvements are a big step forward for clean water in Maryland,” said Maryland Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain. “These projects not only work to resolve critical infrastructure needs to make for safer and healthier communities, but they are also investments in our economy — creating local jobs, enhancing property values, and bolstering the industries that thrive on a cleaner Chesapeake Bay.”
Governor Wes Moore included more than $400 million in his FY26 budget for Chesapeake Bay and clean water projects. These projects create local jobs, improve public spaces and enhance property values. Cleaner waterways bolster tourism in Maryland, which generates about $3.2 billion a year in economic activity. Improved water quality and habitat also benefits Maryland’s seafood industry, which contributes nearly $600 million to the state’s economy each year.
Equipment rehabilitation at the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant
Baltimore City is under a consent decree for discharge permit violations at the Patapsco and Back River wastewater treatment plants. The improvements are designed to improve the Patapsco plant’s performance and restore it to full operational capacity with safe and reliable wastewater treatment. The state is also investing more than $32 million for the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant. Nitrogen pollution has dropped by more than 78 percent at Patapsco and by more than 60 percent at Back River. Phosphorus pollution is down 80 percent at both locations.
Southern Kent Island Sanitary Project – Phase 4
Loan and grant money approved today will advance a years-long effort to move homes off septic systems. The project addresses groundwater contamination resulting from high groundwater tables and poor soil conditions in the community, which currently relies on septic systems. The construction will provide public sewer to about 1,500 homes and eight non-residential properties by connecting them to the Kent Narrows-Stevensville-Grasonville Wastewater Treatment Plant for upgraded wastewater treatment.
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