It’s been a whirlwind of a year on all fronts, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ve navigated through many challenges, welcomed new staff members to our BWB family, and we’re working every day to hold polluters accountable. So, what has your Baltimore Waterkeeper team been up to? Growing our Team of Water Protectors Our…
THE ISSUE: The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has proposed a series of changes to the municipal separated stormwater sewer system (MS4) permits that dictate how much stormwater pollution local jurisdictions can allow, and what they are required to do to offset it. Urban and suburban stormwater runoff is untreated – it kills fish,…
Sewage backups and overflows in Baltimore have been a major concern for years. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this issue that much more apparent. Many residents who experience backups can’t afford the up-front cost of cleanup and disinfection, so they do the job themselves. But we know that COVID-19 – or SARS-CoV-2 – is potentially…
Sewage doesn’t belong in our streets – or our homes. Speak out against sewage backups into buildings in Baltimore City. Join us at Baltimore City Council’s upcoming hearing on sewage backups and a pre-hearing rally! Wednesday November 13, 2019 4pm: Rally at War Memorial Plaza (will also be livestreamed on our Facebook page) 5pm to…
Sewage doesn’t belong in our streets – or our homes. When it rains in Baltimore, millions of gallons of sewage flow into our streams, rivers, Inner Harbor, and even our homes. Sewage backups in homes and buildings are a big problem in Baltimore. Heavy rainfall coupled with the city’s crumbling infrastructure causes toxic sewage to back…
Last week, a powerful storm flooded Baltimore’s most popular neighborhoods. Our waterways took a hit, too. On August 6, 2019, the storm dropped almost a half foot of rain in a two-hour span. Flash floods overtook many neighborhoods at the foot of the Jones Falls watershed. Some people posted dramatic photos of stranded cars and flooded…
We need you to come out and show your support for keeping sewage out of the basements, streets, and waterways of our City. Learn more on the consent decree and our role in monitoring the progress. Technical and Legal Review of Proposed Modification On June 1, 2016, the federal government and State of Maryland lodged a proposed…
Last Wednesday night, the Baltimore region received more than two inches of rain, which led to significant flooding around the region. When large rainstorms like these hit Baltimore, stormwater runoff leaks into our sanitary sewer system through cracks in aging pipes and illegal connections. The stormwater mixes with sewage and overwhelms both the pipes and…
When we were putting together our 2012 Annual Report – our first as a merged organization – we wanted to illustrate how we work on water quality issues in Baltimore. This infographic was created by our designer, Redstart Creative, to highlight the four major sources of water pollution in Baltimore: sewage, polluted runoff, trash, and…
Blue Water Baltimore Executive Director Halle Van der Gaag today released the following statement in response to a U.S. District Court recent ruling denying the organization’s citizen intervention in a 2002 consent decree between Baltimore City, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) requiring the City to fix the sewer…