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

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…

Expand Sewage Backup Assistance
Environmental Regulators Order Baltimore City to Expand Sewage Assistance Program – Rain or Shine July 13, 2023 The Environmental Protection Agency and the Maryland Department of the Environment have ordered Baltimore City to expand a program that helps homeowners who have suffered a sewage backup due to problems in the city’s aging sewer pipes, fulfilling…


Two Weeks with Blue Water Baltimore
An intern’s view of BWB!


Going Back to Back River
On Thursday, May 25th, twenty two community scientists collected water samples throughout Back River and beyond. Some were taken off of docks at homes, public boat launches, or by boat in Back River. These samples were brought to Blue Water Baltimore’s lab and processed in order to measure the levels of Enterococcus bacteria. The Code of…


What Happened during MD’s 2023 Legislative Session?
After a whirlwind 90 days, Maryland’s 2023 Legislative Session ended on April 10th. Legislators considered over 2,000 bills this session and passed several priorities from the environmental community. Blue Water Baltimore weighed in on over 30 bills that impact environmental and community health in the watersheds where we work. Read on to learn more about…


BWB and CLA File Suit Against Fleischmann’s Vinegar for Violating Clean Water Laws
BLUE WATER BALTIMORE AND CHESAPEAKE LEGAL ALLIANCE FILE SUIT AGAINST FLEISCHMANN’S VINEGAR FOR VIOLATING CLEAN WATER LAWS Blue Water Baltimore, represented by the Chesapeake Legal Alliance, filed suit todayagainst Fleischmann’s Vinegar Company, Inc. and its parent company, Kerry, Inc., for unauthorized discharge of pollutants into the Jones Falls stream, a tributary to the Baltimore Harbor…


Baltimore’s Waterways Will Not Be a Dumping Ground for Toxic Contamination
Advocates push back against an EPA mandate to accept East Palestine, OH wastewater March 25, 2023 Baltimore, MD – Blue Water Baltimore, home of the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, rejects the mandate from the U.S. EPA that toxic contamination and carcinogens will pass through our City and flow into the Back River from an environmental disaster…


Abundance at AVAM and the Value of Supporting Urban farms
I recently visited the American Visionary Art Museum, where there is an exhibit titled “Abundance” open through October 3rd, 2023. The two rooms contained a number of different artistic styles, with a primary focus on sculptures and two-dimensional designs. Every piece was connected by the uniqueness of the materials used to create them. Buttons, rhinestones,…


5 Easy Swaps For Healthy Waterways
The water that passes through our pipes is often forgotten about. Those who have access to safe water from any faucet don’t have to think about where their water is coming from (nor do they have to think about where it goes). However, a lot can end up in local waterways—and there are a lot…


Baltimore’s Hidden City: a conversation with Sewer author, Jessica Leigh Hester
Miles of pipes snake below our feet, teeming with activity and unwitnessed by many. While most people turn a blind eye to sewer systems, Jessica Leigh Hester traverses this concrete jungle with unwavering curiosity. The Sewer author sat down with us ahead of World Water Day to shed light on the fragility, beauty, and vitality…



Statement on Explosion and Fire at Back River WWTP
Blue Water Baltimore and Chesapeake Legal Alliance’s Statement on Explosion and Fire at Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant Baltimore, MD – Blue Water Baltimore and the Chesapeake Legal Alliance sincerely hope early reports that no one was injured in today’s explosion at Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant prove true, and that the plant is able…
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