Upgrades to Howard?s wastewater treatment plant and a storm-water management facility in Ellicott City are among the projects receiving a funding nod from the state.
Gov. Martin O?Malley?s proposed fiscal 2009 capital budget includes more than $31.5 million for Howard projects ranging from school construction to library improvements.
The budget includes $1.4 million for enhanced nutrient removal at Little Patuxent Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is in Savage and serves more than half of the county?s population.
The money would help pay for upgrades to the system to meet nutrient removal standards set by the state, said Public Works Director Jim Irvin.
Funding for upgrades to the state?s 66 major wastewater treatment plants comes from the state?s flush tax, a $2.50 fee collected from residents served by the facility. Fees generate about $60 million a year, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Treatment plants must be upgraded to achieve a treated sewage water quality of 3 milligrams of nitrogen per liter of water and 0.3 milligrams of phosphorus per liter of water, according to MDE.
The total cost of the Savage project is nearly $50 million, and the state share of the project is 56 percent, according to the budget.
The budget also includes funding to retrofit a storm-water facility in the Brampton Hills subdivision of Ellicott City. The storm-water pond must be expanded and brought up to current design standards, Irvin said.
Program Open Space funding was dramatically lower than previous years. Funding comes from state transfer taxes, enacted when a change of ownership occurs on real property, so a slowing real estate market means less Open Space funding.
O?Malley proposed nearly $1.3 million in Open Space grants, down from $6.6 million last year and more than $9 million the year before.
The dip wasn?t a surprise, but county officials will need to prioritize which parks projects move forward, said Howard Director of Recreation and Parks Gary Arthur.
