Waste Water

Editor: As a Perryville Town resident of over 30 years, I could not be more pleased with the leadership provided by Mayor Jim Eberhardt. Through his tenure the town finances are in fine shape, the infrastructure especially water and waste water are strategically and structurally sound and the staff employed in the town office and department of public works is extremely competent operating within a service mentality. On the occasions that I've had to inquire regarding town business, I have always been treated courteously and received correct information or prompt attention.

The Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works reported yesterday that nine waste water pumping stations experienced overflows Saturday. Raw sewage flowed into several waterways, including the South River, Church Creek, Chesapeake Bay, Sloop Cove and Furnace Creek. County officials were trying to determine how much sewage escaped the pumping stations as of yesterday afternoon, but a spokesman said it was not a significant amount. No public health warning was released, but officials advised residents who come into contact with contaminated water to wash hands and clothing.

Villa Julie College has asked the Baltimore County Board of Appeals to reconsider its decision to uphold its cap on future student enrollment and a limit on the amount of waste water discharged from a proposed treatment plant.Villa Julie had filed for a special zoning exception that would allow it to expand its institution in an agricultural zone. County Zoning Commissioner Lawrence E. Schmidt granted the exception but limited future enrollment at the school to 5 percent a year up to a total of 2,500 students over a five-year period.

The owner of a farm with the county's only sludge storage pit said an ordinance proposed to limit sludge storage is aimed at him."I'm worn out with this whole damn business," said Robert C. Neal, whose farm is off Bear Run Road in Taneytown."

Water and sewer fees for a Baltimore household would increase 19 percent -- or an average of about $60 a year -- under a rate increase proposed by the city.The proposed increase, the first in four years, affects commercial and industrial as well as residential customers. If approved by the city's top elected and appointed officials, it would take effect April 1.The cost of water the city sells to Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Howard counties also would rise. However, it's not known what effect this will have on rates paid by residents.

There is no question that having a Coca-Cola bottling and syrup plant built in Howard County is a boon to the state andlocal economy. Maryland and Howard economic development officials have fought hard to get the plant located here. Last fall, we supported previous efforts to reduce by $5 million a fee the company must pay for its heavy use of water. At that time, it appeared Coke was prepared to back out of the project unless that condition was met.Now, however, the county faces another crisis over the construction of a waste-water treatment facility for Coke.

Noah's Ark center is offered county-owned site in Broadneck The operators and injured squirrels, birds and rabbits of Noah's Ark Wildlife Center in Pasadena have been offered a new home - on county property. Ted and Velvet Kitzmiller had lost their lease and were asked to move by July 1 from the rented home on Luke Drive where they have operated the nonprofit center for eight years of rehabilitating injured wildlife. The county administration announced late Friday that the Kitzmillers have been offered a site on the county-owned Smith Farm property in the Broadneck area and scheduled a lease-signing ceremony with County Executive Janet S. Owens at the current Noah's Ark site tomorrow.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants Howard County to repay the federal government almost $1 million because the county can't find documents related to a grant for a waste-water treatment project completed in 1982.And U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, who met privately with County Executive Charles I. Ecker and key officials in his administration yesterday to talk about the county's problems with the federal government, is livid about it.A federal audit and demand for repayment 13 years after a project is completed is the kind of thing that leads people to become disillusioned with government, Senator Mikulski said.

The Maryland Department of the Environment has filed a civil complaint against a Brooklyn Park pharmaceutical firm charging it dumped wastewater at the Aberdeen Water Treatment Plant without state permission.Kanasco Ltd., which manufactures synthetic penicillin, allegedly dumped industrial wastewater at the Aberdeen Waste Water Treatment Plant without state approval on June 10, 19 and 26 of this year, said Mike Sullivan, a Department of the Environment spokesman.Mr. Sullivan said the state does not know whether the wastewater was hazardous, but Aberdeen city officials said they asked the company for a lab analysis certifying the wastewater contained no hazardous chemicals before accepting it at their plant.