April 22, 2022
Baltimore, MD—Blue Water Baltimore (BWB), home of the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, and Chesapeake Legal Alliance (CLA) commend the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and Department of Public Health for issuing a public advisory warning against water contact in the Back River.
Over the past four months, BWB has analyzed bacteria samples downstream of the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in coordination with the Back River Restoration Committee. Results revealed intermittent spikes in bacteria far above safe levels for human contact—sometimes exceeding the threshold by over 180 times. MDE’s recent monitoring confirmed these high spikes near the plant’s discharge pipe.
“This is why water quality monitoring is so important – thanks to the data, we know the Back River is often unsafe for human contact; we are relieved that the state issued an advisory to protect the many people who recreate in the Back River,” said Alice Volpitta, Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper at Blue Water Baltimore. “We will continue our efforts to ensure the sources of this pollution are eliminated as quickly as possible.”
Blue Water Baltimore and Chesapeake Legal Alliance have long advocated for public health warnings in areas around Baltimore where recreation is common and high levels of fecal bacteria are known to occur.
“Posting signs at Cox Pt. and issuing an advisory for the Back River is a great first step to protect the public,” said Angela Haren, Senior Attorney at Chesapeake Legal Alliance. “The same warning signs are also urgently needed in areas around Baltimore Harbor where people recreate and fecal bacteria levels often fluctuate well above the safe limit.”
Fecal bacteria can pose a significant risk to human health. High fecal bacteria levels indicate potential presence of pathogens, including Staphylococcus, Hepatitis A, Cryptosporidium, and West Nile Virus, which can cause gastrointestinal illness and skin or eye infections.
BWB, represented by CLA, has filed a lawsuit against Baltimore City for Clean Water Act violations at the Back River and Patapsco WWTPs, which contribute to elevated bacteria, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other pollutants. BWB continues to call on the City to correct these violations, restore waterways, and ensure compliance with federal standards.
BWB routinely conducts water quality monitoring at 49 stations in the Baltimore region. Their data is publicly available at: www.howsthewaterhon.org
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Blue Water Baltimore, home of the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, is a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit watershed organization with a mission to restore the quality of Baltimore’s rivers, streams, and Harbor to foster a healthy environment, a strong economy, and thriving communities.
Chesapeake Legal Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal services, with a mission to apply the power of the law to protect and restore clean water and promote healthy, resilient ecosystems for communities across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Alice Volpitta, Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, Blue Water Baltimore, avolpitta@bluewaterbaltimore.org, (410) 236-9136
Angela Haren, Senior Attorney, Chesapeake Legal Alliance, angela@chesapeakelegal.org, (415) 310-3550
