Wastewater Treatment Plants in Frederick County, Municipalities Receive State Grants
$11 million in funding has been allocated to restore wastewater treatment plants in Frederick County, Maryland.
According to the Frederick News-Post, the Maryland Board of Public Works has approved $11 million in Bay Restoration Funding for qualifying wastewater treatment plants across the state, including more than $545,000 for facilities in Frederick County and its municipalities.
Under the Bay Restoration Fund law of 2004, a portion of the funds collected by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) from wastewater treatment plant users can be allocated to local facilities that meet the state’s threshold for removal of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from treated effluent.
When discharged into the Chesapeake Bay, nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus can cause excessive algae growth that overwhelms the ecosystem and harms other aquatic life, according to MDE.
The amount allocated to each wastewater treatment plant is based on the number of gallons of water that can be treated at that facility each day. Plants with higher approved capacities are eligible for more funding.
The money recently awarded by the Board of Public Works is tied to the state’s fiscal year 2025, which began on July 1. The funds will be made available to recipients shortly, MDE spokesperson David Abrams said on Friday.
