For Immediate Release

CONTACTS:

Sue Walitsky (Cardin) 202-224-4524

Matt Jorgenson (Mikulski) 202-228-1122

Jeffrey Raymond (Baltimore City) 443-571-0638

July 7, 2014

*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***

TODAY – CARDIN, MIKULSKI VISITS BALTIMORE CITY’S 99-YEAR-OLD WATER FILTRATION PLANT IN PUSH TO MAKE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES A NATIONAL PRIORITY

“A healthy water infrastructure system is as important to America’s economy as paved roads and sturdy bridges”

TODAY/Monday, July 7 at 10:00AM, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water, and Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, will tour Baltimore City’s Montebello Water Treatment Plant # 1. The 99-year old facility is one of three major municipal water filtration plants in Baltimore, providing clean drinking water to residents of Baltimore City, and parts of Baltimore, Howard and Anne Arundel counties.

It’s estimated that by 2020, the forecasted deficit for sustaining water delivery and wastewater treatment infrastructure, will trigger a $206 billion increase in costs for businesses.  In a worst case scenario, a lack of water infrastructure investment will cause the United States to lose nearly 700,000 jobs by 2020.  The immediate and long-term dividends of investing in water infrastructure are significant. The U.S. Conference of Mayors notes that each public dollar invested in water infrastructure increases private long-term GDP output by more than $6. The Department of Commerce has found that that same dollar yields close to $3 worth of economic output in other industries. Every job created in local water and sewer industries creates close to four jobs elsewhere in the national economy.

WHO:             Senator Ben Cardin

Senator Barbara A. Mikulski

WHAT:           Tour of Baltimore City’s Montebello Water Treatment Plant #1 and Discussion of the Need to Upgrade Aging Water Infrastructure

WHEN:           TODAY – Monday, July 7, 2014 – 10:00AM-11:15AM

WHERE:         Montebello Water Treatment Plant # 1   

3901 Hillen Road, Baltimore, MD

NOTE: Media wishing to cover the event are requested to send media affiliation/names and vehicle description/tag number to jeffrey.raymond@baltimorecity.gov. A media credential or government ID will be required for entry. 

Montebello Filtration Plant No. 1 was placed in service in service in 1915 and can treat up to 128 million gallons per day of water from Loch Raven Reservoir or the Susquehanna River. The plant has two rapid mix chambers, four flocculators, four sedimentation basins, and 32 rapid sand filters. Treated water from the plant supplies the First Zone by gravity and other zones via pumping.