Final reports revealed that the heavy downpours on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 21, 2016, led to a single sewer discharge at the 1900 block of Falls Road, near North Avenue, totalling 15,000 gallons.

Previously, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) suspected that a sanitary sewer overflow exceeding 10,000 gallons had also occurred at the 400 block of East Preston Street. However, further review of the data from the East Preston Street site does not support an actual sanitary sewer overflow exceeding 10,000 gallons, which requires mandatory public notification. The finalized data indicates that there may have been a brief inflow of stormwater from the storm system into the sanitary sewer. 

DPW has submitted the data to the Maryland Department of the Environment, as required by the terms of its Consent Decree. The Baltimore City Health Department has also been notified.

DPW expects to begin construction by early next year on an upgrade to its Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant that would eliminate more than 80 percent of sanitary sewer overflows in the City.

The public is reminded to avoid contact with urban waterways due to the risk of pollution. For more information about health concerns as a result of sewer overflows please go to: http://health.baltimorecity.gov/sanitary-sewer-overflows-sso.