The Conococheague Wastewater Treatment Plant was one of two facilities operated by the Washington County Department of Water Quality honored by Governor Parris Glendenning on Saturday, January 24th, in ceremonies in College Park.
The department was presented the Governor’s Award of Excellence for its voluntary efforts in reducing pollution in Chesapeake Bay through participation in the Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) Biological Nutrient Removal Program.
The Awards came at the annual meeting of MDE’s Tributary Strategy Team held at the University of Maryland Inn and Conference Center. Both the Conococheague plant and the Winebrenner Wastewater Treatment Plant located on Pen-Mar Road near Fort Ritchie received the Governor’s award.
As part of the Chesapeake Bay Initiative, the state has a goal of 40% reduction in pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphates which reach the bay, by the year Two Thousand. Washington County has taken a proactive approach in reducing levels of these nutrients in treated wastewater released into tributaries of the Potomac River, such as Conococheague Creek.
Maryland’s environmental regulations will require the nutrient reductions by the turn of the century. Department of Water Quality Manager Greg Murray said that by taking a proactive approach, grant funds can be used to minimize user impact. As part of the Upper Potomac Tributary Strategy Team, pilot testing programs at the Conococheague plant have helped determine the levels of nutrients in the county’s wastewater, and the most cost effective methods for their reduction. If the department had waited until the law went into effect to initiate the program, grant money would not have been available to assist in offsetting the costs involved.
Several similar programs were also honored at the weekend meeting.