Maryland’s Back River is unsafe, environmental officials have declared amid problems with the wastewater plant

Maryland environmental officials declared the Back River in Baltimore County unsafe for drinking, swimming, or any other human contact Friday amid continuing concerns about failing systems at Dundalk’s Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Anyone who comes into contact with water should wash their hands with soap and water immediately. If water comes into contact with open wounds, it is a good idea to seek medical advice.

The declaration follows months of environmental groups raising concern that river bacteria levels are high and that the public should be informed about the risks associated with boating on the river.

The city of Baltimore owns the Back River plant that processes sewage from Baltimore County. Environmental groups and state inspectors have stated that it has not been maintained properly. They claim that it is failing to properly filter bacteria, pollution, and release water into the river.

Maryland Department of the Environment ordered the state to take over the Back River plant after inspections revealed that water treatment problems were becoming worse. However, officials from the department had claimed that floating mats made of algae were floating in the river despite what some observers have suggested recently as untreated sewage.

The department stated Friday that water samples taken Tuesday showed unsafe levels of fecal bacteria at multiple locations along the river.

“The health advisory was a necessary and protective measure in our larger effort to stabilize and dramatically improve operation and maintenance Baltimore’s world-class wastewater assets,” Maryland Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles stated.

Blue Water Baltimore is a monitoring and advocacy group for water quality. It has been raising concerns about the Back River Plant since last August. The state was praised by the group. The group routinely tests waterways for bacteria and pollutants at 49 locations around Baltimore. In August, it first noticed signs of problems at the Back River and Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plants in Baltimore’s Wagners Point.

“This is the reason water quality monitoring is so crucial. Thanks to the data, it is clear that the Back River is often unsafe to human contact. We are relieved the state issued an advisory for the protection of the many people who create in the Back River,” Alice Volpitta said, the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper.

Northeast Baltimore is served by the 9-mile Back River, which drains via Herring Run to Northeast Baltimore. Northeast Creek serves a portion of eastern Baltimore County. This means that it also handles storm runoff. Hart Miller Island, a popular recreational spot and boating destination, is located just off its mouth, in the Chesapeake Bay.

Cox’s Point Park is a public park in Essex that is located across the river. The signs warn visitors to avoid water contact, especially when the waters are cloudy. They also mention that the pollution is caused by recent heavy rains, storms, or other conditions. These signs are often placed around waterways as heavy rain can cause wastewater surges to overflow into streams and rivers.

In the case of Back River, however, this signage may give people an impression that the water is safe if the water looks clear or it hasn’t rained recently, Angela Haren, senior legal counsel at Chesapeake Legal Alliance who is representing Blue Water Baltimore as part of a lawsuit against Baltimore for wastewater plant failures.

She stated that the signs should be in multiple languages to make it clear that the health risk is more severe and persistent than this.

She stated, “This is 100% of all the time right now; it’s not just in heavy rainfall.”

Haren said that signs and notifications are also needed around Baltimore harbor, where boating and other recreational activities are common and unsafe bacteria levels are high.

2022 Baltimore Sun.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC