City leaders on Wednesday approved a $1.6 billion plan to rehabilitate Baltimore’s aged sewer system and stop wastewater from leaking into the Inner Harbor by 2030 — 15 years after an earlier missed deadline.
The consent agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency will have direct financial consequences for residents, who will pay for the work through years of expected sewer bill increases in the city, and potentially in surrounding counties that use Baltimore water infrastructure. At the same time, they could receive financial assistance from the city if sewage backs up into their homes under a new program offering at least $2 million a year to cover cleanup costs.
Backups occur more than a dozen times a day, on average, but the city is rarely found responsible for cleanup costs, The Baltimore Sun has reported.
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