BALTIMORE —
Baltimore City has started blending water from the Susquehanna River with its reservoir supply due to drought conditions.
“We’re seeing our Prettyboy Reservoir, which is our northernmost reservoir, drop to 20-year lows,” said Matthew Garbark, director of Baltimore City’s Department of Public Works.
The blending process is taking place at the Montebello Water Treatment Plant, where water travels nearly 40 miles before undergoing a series of treatments to ensure it is safe to drink.
| MAP: See Montebello Treatment Plant supply areas
Massive sedimentation pools act as strainers, removing debris before the water moves to final filtration.
“Whatever settled on the floor of the sedimentation basin will be swept toward the center pit that will take it to the waste lake,” said Mohammad Almafrachi, water treatment engineer supervisor for Baltimore City DPW.
“Each filter has the ability to process anywhere between one million gallons, up to about 10 million gallons,” said Herbert Naylor, division chief of water facilities for Baltimore City DPW.
DPW is ramping up testing to monitor the quality of both water sources and the final blend before distribution.
“This is perfectly high-quality water. We are going to make sure that it is safe and usable for everyone,” Garbark said.
The initial supply will consist of 20% to 40% Susquehanna River water, impacting households in eastern Baltimore City, parts of Baltimore County and some homes in southwest Baltimore.
“This is something that is normal for our system. We’ve done it in the past. This is by no means the worst drought, but this is something that is going to be here if we don’t get any more rain. These pumps will run, and we’re going to be using this water,” Garbark said.
DPW officials say the water should look, smell, and taste the same as usual. The city is hoping for a wet winter to help replenish its reservoirs.
Residents are asked to continue conserving water. There is still a voluntary water restriction in effect, so customers are asked to limit water usage, which can include cutting back on watering lawns, taking shorter showers and repairing leaky faucets.