The Baltimore City Council passed a resolution Monday night urging the Department of Public Works to expand a program that helps residents pay for clean-up after a sewer back-up. It’s part of an order under the modified consent decree between the Maryland Department of the Environment, EPA and Baltimore City — although so far, Baltimore has been delayed filling out that order since 2023.
Council resolutions like the one passed Monday are non-binding, the council cannot force DPW to act but it can serve to put public pressure on the department.
The SOS, or Sewage Onsite Support, allows for direct payment to third-party vendors for cleanup when a resident has a sewer back-up that enters a home through toilets and sinks. As of now, the city only accepts residents who have had back-ups due to wet weather events; according to city data and environmental advocates, that’s only a small portion of sewer back-ups.
Newly sworn Councilmember Paris Gray introduced Monday’s resolution as his very first piece of legislation on the council. He says DPW reported 1500 sewage back-ups in fiscal year 2024 but only assisted 7 households.
“This is not just a nuisance, this is a public health crisis,” said Gray. “Left to clean up raw sewage themselves, residents are exposed to harmful pathogens, bacteria, and long term health risks like mold and mildew.”
Despite the consent decree, the city is stalling, citing budget issues.
“Understanding the City Council’s interest in the outcome of this work and desire to achieve the best results for residents, DPW still remains in active negotiations with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) regarding potential revisions to the Sewage Onsite Support (SOS) Cleanup Program,” wrote Jennifer Combs, a spokesperson for DPW, in an email to WYPR.
Part of the 2017 modified consent decree between the EPA/MDE and Baltimore required the city to put aside $2 million for sewage clean-up. That’s a problem long known and reported by the city. A 2021 report from DPW estimated that problems in the city owned pipes caused 8,860 back-ups between 2018 and 2021.
In 2023, the EPA required the city to broaden the scope of eligibility for the $2 million in funding assistance — including those who had back-ups due to broken or clogged city pipes, not just wet water incidents.
“The $2 million will be exhausted in the first few months and the rest of the year you’re not going to have anybody who’s getting anything,” said DPW Director Khalil Zaied, during a budget hearing before the City Council in 2024. He said it could cost up to $14 million to accommodate all back-ups.
DPW has its annual public meeting on sewage on the Modified Consent Decree for sewage overflows later this month. That meeting will be January 30th at 6pm at the Cylburn Arboretum Center.
