Water Sector News
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Editorial: Wastewater treatment project expensive, but worthwhile
The City of Westminster is about to undertake the most expensive project in city history, a more than $70 million overhaul of its wastewater treatment facility. The facility would serve everyone on the Westminster water and sewer system, including roughly 15,000 people who live outside city limits.
While it is an expensive project, it is a worthy one that will allow the city to do a better job of reducing water pollution in the state and also includes efficiencies that will allow the city to save money in operational costs of treating wastewater.
Upgrades for the plant have been in the works for over a decade and will reduce emissions of nutrients like nitrogen and phosporus that, ultimately, end up in the Chesapeake Bay. Liquid discharge from wastewater treatment plants is among the most prominent contributors to excessive nutrients in the Bay, which fuel the growth of algae blooms and create conditions that can be harmful to aquatic life.