Sanitary Sewer Consent Decree Program

On January 21, 2021, DPW held its Annual Information Session to update the public regarding the Department’s progress to meet the Sanitary Sewer Consent Decree over the past 12 months. To view presentations and materials from this session, please visit our virtual meeting room.


The Modified Consent Decree (MCD) for Baltimore City’s sanitary sewer system was entered on October 6, 2017. The MCD requires additional rehabilitation to address sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) from the sanitary sewer system. SSOs may have multiple causes, including infrastructure failure, roots, or clogs in the sewer system. The rehabilitation effort involves cleaning, repair, and/or replacement of public sewer infrastructure and will be conducted over two (2) separate phases. Phase I is expected to eliminate 83% of SSO volume by January 1, 2021. Phase II will include additional necessary sewer rehabilitation projects that will be designed based on the impact of Phase I. The Phase II capital projects will be completed by December 31, 2030.

The Department of Public Works performs water quality monitoring throughout Baltimore City and publishes the results online. An overview of these programs and historic sampling data is available on the Watching the Water page .