Politics & Government
$8.1 Million in Wastewater Plant Upgrades Begin
The power upgrades were made in response to a wastewater overflow during Superstorm Sandy.
The county plans to begin installing solar panels at the wastewater plant in Savage this week as part of $8.1 million in power upgrades to protect the plant from power outages.
During Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, falling trees led to a power outage at the Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant that caused millions of gallons of untreated wastewater to flow into the Little Patuxent River.
“Howard County continues to take the necessary steps to prepare for emergencies and to protect the environment,” said County Executive Ken Ulman, in a statement. “These upgrades are the future of our public infrastructure in Maryland.”
The 217-kilowatt, 15,000-square-foot solar power system will be installed on rooftops at the wastewater plant.
In addition, the county plans to install three large diesel back-up generators capable of producing 2.5 kilowatts of electrical power each. The county's chief of the bureau of utilities, Steve Gerwin, said in October that a single generator could power the plant on a typical day.
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A Year After Sandy, Wastewater Plant Power Upgrades Announced
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