This link is to a publication (owned by The Baltimore Sun) that just a few months ago was pushing for "No Discharge Zones". Hey, perhaps it isn't the boaters???
As parts of the Baltimore region flooded Sunday, the heavy rains were also washing 10 million gallons of sewage-contaminated stormwater into Baltimore’s Jones Falls — one of the largest waste discharges city officials have reported in recent years.
Heavy rains routinely overload Baltimore’s aged sewer system, sending human waste out of manholes and outflows that pour directly into the Jones Falls.
The overflows are the result of cracks and breaks in the aged sewer system, and of its century-old design. The city is under a consent decree with federal and state environmental regulators to end the overflows, which violate the federal Clean Water Act, by 2022.
Most of the sewage, 7.5 million gallons, came out of an underground pipe near the intersection of Greenmount Avenue and East Preston Street, where the Jones Falls runs underground toward the Inner Harbor.
Another 1.5 million gallons came out of a similar outflow slightly more upstream, where the falls flows along Falls Road near the Baltimore Streetcar Museum.
The city Department of Public Works is required to notify the public of such sewage overflows under the consent decree.
Public works officials said smaller overflows occurred elsewhere around the city:
» 984,000 gallons near 1800 E. Eager St.
» 167,000 gallons near West Cold Spring Lane and Ayrdale Avenue
» 104,000 gallons near Charing Cross Road and Greenwich Avenue
» 36,000 gallons near 3100 Liberty Heights Avenue
» 30,000 gallons near North Charles Street and West Lanvale Street
» 25,000 gallons near Gelston Drive and Linnard Street
Sewage pollution is not limited to the Jones Falls or other city waterways — Anne Arundel County officials on Tuesday closed a portion of the Patapsco River to swimmers through June 28. They said more than 1 million gallons of sewage washed into the river from Baltimore and Howard counties upstream.
May 29, 2018 https://www.aahealth.org/section-of-patapsco-river-closed/
May 29, 2018 – The Anne Arundel County Department of Health has closed a section of the Patapsco River to swimming and other direct water contact due to sewage overflows of more than 1 million gallons from Baltimore and Howard counties. The closed waterway area is from the Howard County line to the Baltimore City line along River Road, the Patapsco Valley State Park, and Belle Grove Road.
In Baltimore County, overflows occurred at the Patapsco Sewage Pumping Station, 4612 Annapolis Road in Halethorpe, and the Frederick Road Pumping Station, at 1809 Frederick Road in Catonsville on Sunday, May 27. For details, click here.
In Howard County, an overflow occurred at 4547 Bonnie Branch Road in Ellicott City as a result of a broken main on Monday, May 28 and was stopped around 8:30 p.m. that evening. Stream sampling is being planned for the Howard County area for today, May 29 and beyond as deemed necessary. For questions and general information regarding the circumstances surrounding the overflow, please contact the Howard County Bureau of Utilities at 410-313-4900.
Waterway closing signs have been posted. The Department advises people coming in contact with the affected water to wash well with soap and warm water immediately. Clothing should also be washed. It is also prudent to keep family pets away from the impacted area.
The closing in Anne Arundel County will be for 30 days until June 28, 2018. For more information on the status of the closing, visit www.aahealth.org or call the Water Quality Line, 410-222-7999.
Subscribers to the Department’s Recreational Water Quality Email Alerts www.aahealth.org/alerts receive an email notifying them about waterway closings. Alerts can also be received via text messages by following the Department of Health on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aahealth_water.
This is truly a tragedy (especially the loss of life), but "poop" happens to flow into waterways all the time and it isn't the boaters doing it! http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2018/05/28/maryland-residents-storm-damage/
"it’s for the greater good." "We are going to have more green space" "I want to make people feel it is worthwhile" Good luck with that 13% property tax increase, Mr. Mayor.
