BALTIMORE — Raw sewage continues to contaminate local waterways because of issues with the state's largest wastewater treatment plant. The Back River plant is located in Dundalk, but it's owned by Baltimore city. Now City officials say they were not given enough time to address all of the issues the state found.
Baltimore's Department of Public Works released a lengthy statement about the State's Department of the Environment stepping in to address critical issues at the plant. Last week, the City was given two days to improve conditions before the State took over.
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In their statement, the City's Department of Public Works said it would not have been possible to comply with the order after months of discussion about issues with the plant. DPW said the state brought up violations from August for the Back River and Patapsco plants. They say they've been working to improve those conditions at the plants.
But the Department of Public Works says staffing issues and supply chain issues are some of the reasons for the delays in making improvements to the Back River plant. The statement says they need more qualified people and parts to address issues further.
You can read the full statement here.