DPW Reports Sanitary Sewer Overflow

Green banner with DPW logo and text "Department of Public Works Press Release"

Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) reports that a sanitary sewer overflowed into the Jones Falls in the early hours of Friday, July 29. The overflow followed several hours of rain, including two downpours, and stopped around 5:30 a.m.  The total release was estimated to be about 14,000 gallons. This incident occurred underground in a structured overflow at North Charles and West Lanvale Streets and did not spill onto any streets.

Such structured overflows were designed as part of Baltimore’s sewer system more than 100 years ago but are being eliminated as part of the City’s $1 billion Consent Decree sewer rehabilitation. Structured overflows act as a release valve when the pipes are surcharged with rainwater that enters the sewer mains during heavy rains.

No other significant overflows were reported as a result of the recent rains. The Baltimore City Health Department and the Maryland Department of the Environment were notified of this event. 

Typically, but especially during times of heavy, prolonged rain, the public is urged not to come into contact with urban streams because of the possibility that pollutants have been washed into them. Permanent signs to this effect are posted along our urban streams.

 

 

Related Stories

Baltimore City Department of Public Works Updates Community Pitch-In Dumpster Request Program to Support Equitable Resource Distribution

DPW is pleased to announce updates to its Community Pitch-In Dumpster Request Program that are designed to promote greater equity and access to resources. These changes aim to empower communities, especially those in underserved areas, by enhancing opportunities to organize clean-up events while ensuring transparency and fairness in resource allocation.

DPW Offices, Sanitation Yards Closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day City of Baltimore to Observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 20.

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Khalil Zaied reminds residents that all DPW offices and sanitation yards will be CLOSED on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 20, 2025. 

The Martin Luther King Jr. closure does NOT impact residential trash and recycling collections. 

City of Baltimore Mobilizing to Address Severe Weather Impacts on Trash, Recycling, and Water Services

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW), in collaboration with the Department of Transportation (DOT), is working to address delays in trash and recycling collections caused by last week’s severe weather. With freezing temperatures, fluctuating weather conditions, and snowstorms impacting city operations, DPW and DOT have ramped up efforts to restore essential services to residents.