Water Projects Are Announced

O'Malley's Plan for Stimulus Funds Falls Short of WSSC Request

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) announced plans yesterday to allocate funds for water quality projects from the federal stimulus package, agreeing to spend $119.2 million to help finance 95 projects, including several in Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

But the dollars fall far short of what the suburban Washington communities said they need to fix aging water and sewer lines, and local officials said late yesterday that they were assessing the governor's plan.

It offers $6 million in grants and $2 million in loans to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, the agency that supplies water and sewer services to 1.8 million residents in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, the state's largest jurisdictions. The agency has dealt with more than 4,000 breaks or leaks in water pipes in the past two years.

"It is better than zero," said Montgomery County Council member Nancy Floreen (D-At Large), chairman of the committee that oversees water and sewer projects. "I know they are trying, but it doesn't sound like much. That is really disappointing."

The Maryland Department of the Environment received $3.7 billion in requests for water quality and wastewater projects, including $75 million in requests from the WSSC.

In Prince George's County, the funds awarded include a $4 million grant for sewer pipe work near the Anacostia River. In Montgomery, the $2 million loan would go to sewer pipe work near Silver Spring.

Earlier this month, the state plan offered only low-interest loans to the WSSC, which led to an outcry from local political leaders and a claim by the highly leveraged agency that it could not take on any more debt without imposing a larger rate increase on customers. O'Malley reexamined the proposal, and the plan announced yesterday was the result.

"After receiving a flood of applications for this funding from around the state, we've worked to ensure that environmental benefits and job creation are maximized in every region of the state," Shari T. Wilson, secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, said in a statement.

The plan also drew praise from members of Congress, including Sens. Benjamin L. Cardin (D) and Barbara A. Mikulski (D) and Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D).

A spokesman for Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) said officials had not had time to examine the allocations. "We need some time to take a look at this and see where this really puts us," John Erzen said. Patrick Lacefield, spokesman for Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), declined to comment.

Statewide, $92.8 million will be used for pollution reduction projects, including wastewater treatment, sewer upgrades and storm water runoff controls. The remaining $26.4 million will be spent on drinking water treatment, water storage and wells.