| Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant | |
|---|---|
 Back River in 2008 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Operational |
| Address | 8201 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Groundbreaking | 1907 |
| Opened | 1911 |
| Cost | $10 million[a] |
| Owner | City of Baltimore |
| Grounds | 466 acres (189 ha) |
The Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant is a wastewater treatment plant in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It serves the city of Baltimore, which owns and operates the facility, as well as Baltimore County, Maryland, and discharges treated water into the Back River and the Patapsco River.
History
editEarly proposals
editSeveral proposals to build a wastewater treatment system in Baltimore were made leading up to the 20th century as the city experienced explosive growth in population and economic production. In the absence of storm sewers, winter storms would cause ice pileups in the city's streets and alleys, impeding the movement of business vehicles and emergency services and thereby increasing the cost of transportation and business in the city. This issue limited Baltimore's ability to attract outside business, as business owners told local officials that they would not move to Baltimore until sewage and other improvements were made to the city's physical plant. National efforts to quarantine people with communicable diseases, especially during smallpox epidemics, contributed to calls to build a sewer system in the city and spurred the creation of the 1893 Baltimore Sewerage Commission.[1]
Baltimore's political systems largely ignored calls to build a city-wide sewer system. The city government was organized along geographic rather than functional lines up until 1898, which contributed to fragmentation in government and limited the mayor's ability to spur the city council to act on behalf of the whole city. Proposals to build a city-wide sewer system also saw opposition from local interest groups, wealthy communities, and the Maryland General Assembly, with the Baltimore City Delegation clashing with other legislators on how much eminent domain power to give to the city to build the sewer system and on the makeup of the sewerage commission board.[1] Other opposition came from those concerned about the estimated $10 million cost of the project and how the city would afford to build the sewer system.[2] Property owners pushed against any changes to the city's tax code to pay for a city-wide sewer system, with wealthier residents fearing that tax code changes may close loopholes that allowed them to evade city taxes by listing their permanent residence in Baltimore County. Proposals to build a city-wide sewer system did not appear viable until 1903, when both gubernatorial and mayoral candidates pledged to support the project.[1]
1905 referendum and construction
edit| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
 Yes
|
37,177 | 59.55 |
| No | 25,253 | 40.45 |
| Total votes | 62,430 | 100.00 |
The Great Baltimore Fire in February 1904 triggered a downtown rebuilding campaign that proved Baltimore's willingness to pursue large projects and renewed a sense of urgency among city officials to compete with other cities for economic development through infrastructure improvements.[1] In April 1905, Baltimore voters approved a referendum permitting a $10 million bond issue to build a municipal sewer system, with 59.6 percent of residents approving the measure.[3] No major organization publicly opposed the referendum, with many newspapers, ministers, businesspersons, and politicians rallying behind the vote. Shortly after it passed, Mayor E. Clay Timanus appointed a commission to determine how the sewer system should be designed; the commission eventually decided on a plan of dual and connected sewers, with one carrying stormwater and the other carrying human and industrial wastes.[1]
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On November 4, 1905, Calvin W. Hendrick was unanimously elected as chief engineer for the construction of the Baltimore sewage system.[4] Surveying work for the sewer system started on January 15, 1906,[5]
Plant construction began in 1907 and operations in 1911.[6]
Function
editMultiple Maryland Matters and Baltimore Sun articles
Newspapers.com
EPA lawsuit and MDE consent order
References
editFootnotes
editCitations
edit- ^ a b c d e Euchner, Charles C. (1991). "The Politics of Urban Expansion: Baltimore and the Sewerage Question, 1859–1905" (PDF). Maryland Historical Magazine. pp. 270–291. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Maryland State Archives.
- ^ "History of Wastewater Removal and Treatment". Baltimore City Department of Public Works. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- ^ "Triumph for loans; council Democratic". The Baltimore Sun. May 3, 1905. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Calvin W. Hendrick elected". The Baltimore Sun. November 5, 1905. p. 11. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Surveying for sewer work". The Baltimore Sun. January 16, 1906. p. 14. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant". Baltimore City Department of Public Works. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
External links
edit
Media related to Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant at Wikimedia Commons
