clean Water Blog
The fight for clean water happens on many fronts.
Our clean water blog helps you discover how to best make your impact.
From environmental advocacy to community organizing to DIY solutions, our blog serves as a rich resource to equip you with what you need to keep your local watershed clean.
We have over 50 years of collective wisdom and direct experience as leaders in the fight to keep the Baltimore Watershed clean. And although our core focus is issues in Baltimore and Maryland, this clean water blog can serve watershed residents across the USA.
Stay informed on the latest lessons and updates on the road to creating cleaner waterways and a greener Baltimore!
Our Clean Water Blog
Stay Cool, Don’t Pool-lute!
Photo by Lachlan Hardy, used under Creative Commons License. As the days heat up and summer comes into view, remember to keep an eye out for signs of water pollution near you (and let us know about it!). Earlier this month we received several reports through our Pollution Reporting Hotline about a heavy discharge coming…
Change in Tree Law Means a Greener Baltimore
On May 1st, Mayor Brandon Scott signed City Council Bill 23-04654 into law to protect trees on recreation and parks property. This was a change Blue Water Baltimore supported, and will help our goal of increasing Baltimore’s tree canopy, improving water quality and combating the urban heat island effect that makes our city hotter than…
Meet the Director
Sydnee Wilson Ruff grew up with a foot in each of the two Baltimores. From her home in Park Heights, where 96% of residents are Black and more than a quarter fall under the Federal poverty line, she commuted to private schools in some of the wealthiest Baltimore neighborhoods, where 71% of residents are white….
Ridgway “Ridge” Hall (1941-2023)
Last weekend, a memorial service was held by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for Ridgway “Ridge” Hall, who was a true friend not only to the Bay, but to Blue Water Baltimore over the years. You can learn more about Ridge’s incredible life and impact in a recent interview with the Choose Clean Water Coalition. Back…
BWB and CLA announce Settlement in Jones Falls Vinegar Co. Case
Baltimore, MD – Blue Water Baltimore, along with its attorneys at Chesapeake Legal Alliance and Saul Ewing, LLP announce today a settlement agreement with Fleischmann’s Vinegar Company for alleged pollution violations into the Jones Falls, a local waterway in Baltimore which drains to the Inner Harbor. The agreement comes after Blue Water Baltimore filed a…
BWB Statement on FSK Bridge Collapse
We at Blue Water Baltimore would like to express our gratitude to the first responders and local, state, and federal agencies for their ongoing work at the Francis Scott Key Bridge. We also want to thank everyone who has kept us updated on the situation on the ground and in the water by using our…
Jack’s Journey to BWB
Our board members come from all backgrounds and walks of life, but they share a passion for preserving and restoring the health of our waterways. New board member Jack Boyson first worked with us a few years ago on a sewage overflow problem near Stony Run, and was willing to share the story. By Jack…
Herring Run Happenings
By Nursery Manager Rob Jenkins According to Punxsutawney Phil we are due for an early spring in 2024, and that suits us at the Nursery just fine! Spring is considered the time of new beginnings and transformation. The changes we see range from the subtle, such as the swelling of the buds on trees, to…
BWB and CBF: Court Decision is a Loss For Clean Water
MARYLAND STORMWATER PERMITS CONTINUE TO FALL SHORT FOR BALTIMORE COMMUNITIES AND THE BAY’S RESILIENCY AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Yesterday’s decision by the Appellate Court of Maryland affirming Baltimore stormwater permits is a loss for clean water. The court’s response stems from a 2021 lawsuit and petition for judicial review brought by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF)…
Press Statement on Baltimore City DPW’s Sewer Consent Decree Annual Public Meeting
Advocates and Communities Demand Sewer Backup Assistance Program Expansion January 18, 2024 Contact: Well over $1 Billion of taxpayer money has been invested in underground pipe projects and improvements at the Back River and Patapsco wastewater treatment plants. Significant progress has been made. Yet rainfall and other conditions continue to overwhelm Baltimore’s sewer system and cause…
Environmental Groups Announce Landmark Agreement to Resolve Wastewater Treatment Plant Violations
Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant (Google Earth) Baltimore, MD – Blue Water Baltimore and its attorneys at the Chesapeake Legal Alliance announce today an agreement with Maryland Department of Environment and Baltimore City to address pollution violations at the state’s two largest Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs). Working cooperatively with the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE),…
Let the Science Speak: Update Baltimore County’s Water & Sewer Plan Today!
An underground network of sewer pipes runs alongside our local streams and carries raw sewage from our homes and businesses to wastewater treatment plants situated on the Patapsco and Back Rivers. In a perfect system, the sewage would go from point A to point B without ever seeing the light of day. But in many…
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