BALTIMORE — Baltimore City's backup water supply and its systems are ready to be in service as the area faces a continuing drought.
"We are not at that point yet. We are hoping we're not going to have to get to that point, but better safe than sorry," Baltimore City DPW Director Matthew Garbark said.
Crews tested the system at the Lake Montebello Filtration Plant on July 14, where three pumps drew water through an extensive network of pipes from the Susquehanna River.
"We're talking about 35 to 38 miles of piping. So now we have to actually turn those pumps on and flush that sediment out into the system so that in the event that we do need to go to the Susquehanna, we're ready to go," Facilities Division Chief Herbert Naylor said. "Everything went well," he added.
The last time they had to tap into this river was more than two decades ago. Garbark said they've learned their lesson in waiting too long to use it then.
"We depleted our reservoirs quite a bit," he said, referencing the last major drought in the early 2000s.
The department typically draws from three reservoirs: Liberty, Loch Raven and Pretty Boy. Reservoir levels are currently lower than normal, and voluntary water restrictions remain in place.
It supplies water to 1.8 million people across six counties:
Anne Arundel County
Baltimore City
Baltimore County
Carroll County
Harford County
Howard County
Garbark said compliance with those restrictions is especially important right now.
"With heat like this that we're experiencing, it's gonna be very critical that folks comply with them," Garbark said.
Even with a working backup system, water conservation still matters. River water meets quality standards but is harder to treat and contains more sediment.
"There is a noticeable difference in taste and quality that people will notice," Garbark said. "We don't want to have to do that."
Garbark said those issues did lead to concerns and complaints the last time the backup system was used to supplement the water supply.
While there is no one factor or timeline for when DPW may need to pull the trigger on supplementing its typical water supply, the summer months stretching into fall are a critical period, as hot days can cause further evaporation.
Garbark also warned that swimming or entering the reservoirs is illegal and can contaminate the water supply.
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