DPW In The News

Fixing Baltimore's Aging Infrastructure 
July 16, 2018 - WJZ-TV, Channel 13, recently produced a series of stories on infrastructure investments in Baltimore. Reporter Mike Hellgren spent entire days in May 2018 with DPW engineers, supervisors and crews to showcase work being done to upgrade our Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant, replace water mains, restore Stony Run, and build the Guilford Reservoir water tanks.

Recycling Coordinator Explains the Business of Recycling
June-July 2018 - Information about the do's and don'ts of recycling has been made local and national headlines. DPW Recycling Coordinator  Robert Murrow became the go-to local expert to explain the challenges facing the recycling industry. He recently appeared on WYPR's "On the Record" and MPT's "Direct Connection." 

Solutions to Sewer Backups
June 5, 2018 -  WMAR's (Channel 2) Brian Kuebler covered progress of the Headworks project at 
the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant. DPW is spending $429 million dollars to capture and store sewage which is otherwise released into City streams and the Inner Harbor during heavy rain events. Once complete, more than 80 percent of the raw sewage spills will stop, giving area waterways, including the harbor, the opportunity to recover and flourish.

DPW Debuts Interactive Watermain Map
Jan. 28, 2018 - WMAR, Channel 2, covered the addition of an interactive watermain map to the DPW website.  This web-based map provides timely information on active water main repair activity that DPW is conducting in Baltimore City and County. 

"Toilets Are Not Trashcans"
Feb. 20, 2018 - WBFF, Channel 45, highlighted the challenge DPW faces keeping its sewer system free of fats, oils and grease (FOG) and non-flushable items. Anchor Tom Rodgers visited the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant and interviewed workers who operate DPW's Vactor truck, which vacuums clogged sewer lines. 

Fatberg removal underway
October 16, 2017 - Baltimore City  DPW contractors start fatberg removal, tackling the massive plug of grease that has been growing, far below the surface, in a midtown sewer main between Baltimore Penn Station and the 1700 block of Charles Street, which includes the Charles Theater. 

DPW discovers fatberg in sewer pipe
September 28, 2017 - Turns out Baltimore has its own fatberg in its sewer systems – a congealed lump of fat, along with wet wipes and other items that do not break down in sewer systems.

Collaboration, outreach produce a cleaner city
September 1, 2017 - Waste Advantage Magazine featured comprehensive initiatives that DPW's Bureau of Solide Waste has undertaken in recent years to improve the cleanliness of the City. 

Annual Dam Jam celebrates Baltimore area's drinking water reservoirs
August 27, 2017 - At the festival in Cromwell Valley Park, attendees also listened to bands and took part in activities like face painting, Lego building and creating balloon animals.

DPW starts Headworks project to prevent massive sewer leaks
August 10, 2017 - City, State officials have kicked off a three-year, $430 million project, known as "Headworks," that will eliminate miles-long sewage backups that lead to the majority of Baltimore's sanitary sewer overflows.

Baltimore City youth train for careers in the water industry
June 15, 2017 - DPW spearheads on-the-job training program that introduces young Baltimore City residents to careers in the water industry.

Monitoring, quick repair prevents 'catastrophic' rupture
June 28, 2017 - Crews working for the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) were able to complete repairs to a major water transmission main in southwest Baltimore that had been showing signs of a potentially catastrophic rupture.

Baltimore water billing portal helps customers spot leaks
February 10, 2017 - Managing water bills just got a little easier in Baltimore. The Baltimore City Department of Public Works launched a new water billing platform in January that is designed to help residents pay bills, monitor usage and detect leaks.

Baltimore residents see fewer rats with new municipal trash cans
January 18, 2017 - From Highlandtown to Howard Park and Belair-Edison to Barre Circle, citizens credit city-provided trash cans with cutting down on the number of four-legged vermin and keeping loose household trash from reaching the Chesapeake Bay.

New WEF Study on Infrastructure Spending is the Focus of Senate Hearing
May 13, 2016 - On April 7, Rudolph Chow, the director of the Balitmore City Department of Public Works, represented WEF, the City of Baltimore, and WateReuse Association (Alexandria, Va.). Chow provided his testimony in front of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

Sinkhole: What is happening beneath the ground downtown?
September 27, 2016 - "The challenge of repairing any underground infrastructure is substantial and in this case especially when you have such an enormous network of hundreds and hundreds of miles of underground pipes, which a lot of it is pushing 100 years old..."

Utility of the Future Today Logo

Utility of the Future Award
September 14, 2016 - DPW recognized as a “Utility of the Future Today” by the Utility of the Future (UOTF) Recognition Program; which celebrates the progress and exceptional performance of the nation’s wastewater utilities. 

Baltimore residents can now recycle oyster shells
June 1, 2016 - At the Sisson Street Recycling Center, "residents can come dispose of their shells," says Jennifer Combs, a Department of Public Works spokeswoman.

Keeping zebra mussels at bay
March 30, 2016 - Zebra mussels cannot travel on their own to the reservoirs, making them different from some other invasive species. Instead, they can be introduced into bodies of water by latching onto boats and equipment, which is why officials are asking everyone to clean off their boats, gear and bait buckets. The city also has some other safeguards already in place.