Water Pressure

After nearly five years of pressure from Brooklyn Park residents, the county is set to begin a three-year, $8 million overhaul of 23 miles of deteriorating water lines in their neighborhood.For residents, the project will mean better water pressure, clearer water and higher water bills, as Anne Arundel County takes ownership of the water system, which Baltimore City has operated since 1929."My personal opinion is this is something that should never have taken this long to get resolved," said Woody Bowen, a longtime Brooklyn Park resident who was instrumental in persuading the county to take control of the system.

More than a dozen homeowners along Sunset Drive outside Hampstead want the town to annex their properties so they can have public water.Since August, several homeowners have experienced water-pressure problems, and some fear their water supply may suddenly dry up. Residents presented an informal petition for annexation to the Town Council last week.Mayor Christopher M. Nevin said last week that town officials would do whatever they could to help the homeowners, who rely on wells for water.

Twenty people were arrested and 1,500 vehicles were stopped during "Operation Springboard" this weekend in Fells Point, police said. They said the effort served to get out word before summer begins that nuisance crimes will not be tolerated in the area.Maj. Tim Longo, commander of the Southeastern District, said the zero-tolerance initiative Wednesday night through Saturday night resulted in 12 arrests for loitering, public drinking and other minor offenses.Longo said a sobriety checkpoint in the 200 block of President St. Friday night through Saturday morning resulted in seven arrests for drunken driving and one for a previous domestic assault.

A couple posing as city water department employees entered a Northeast Baltimore home yesterday and stole at least $2,000, a victim said.Edward M. Hammel, of the 3200 block of Kenyon Ave., said he recognized the man as the same one who asked to check the "inside" water meter at his home about two months ago. "I told him to leave then because the meter is outside and he didn't have ID," Hammel said.About 1 p.m. yesterday, the man returned and displayed a laminated ID card with his photo and the words "water department" and asked again to check the meter, Hammel said.

County public works officials plan to tell South Carroll residents tonight about plans for a new water tower next to Liberty High School and potential uses of a former school site on Mineral Hill Road.Both projects have sparked controversy in the past. But concern about the proposed water tower may be over now that a one-acre site adjoining Liberty High School has been selected."It is the best hydraulics option" among several proposed sites, said Gary Horst, deputy public works director."It works for us, and it works well for the Board of Education," Horst said of the proposed site.

County officials have postponed a decision on where to build a fourth water storage tower for the Freedom area.Construction of the 130-foot, million-gallon tower, estimated to cost $1 million to $2 million, is proposed for 1998.One potential site near Nickoles Drive and Mineral Hill Road in Eldersburg drew opposition from nearby residents."It just does not make sense to put it here," Bridget Leahy, a systems engineer, said of the site behind her Nickoles Drive home. "I am glad to hear they are considering alternative sites."

When Bridget and Kevin Leahy started building a wide, tiered deck across the back of their home in Sykesville, they never expected to have a view of a 130-foot-high water tower.But county officials are proposing a million-gallon water tower for a 1-acre site just south of Nickoles Drive, where the Leahys and several other families live. The county says the tower is needed to improve fire protection in South Carroll, but residents are concerned that it would also mean the destruction of many mature trees.

Preseason football games are supposed to provide teams with a chance to find and address various deficiencies. But for the Ravens, this thinking extends beyond the playing field and into the restrooms and parking lots.In response to the myriad of problems that arose nearly two weeks ago as angry fans waited for Mass Transit Administration buses to pick them up after the Ravens' first game at Memorial Stadium, some changes are in store to help make Saturday's commute less hectic.For starters, to improve the traffic flow along 33rd Street, bus-only lanes will be implemented between Loch Raven/Alameda and Memorial Stadium.

A four-year county construction program will mean cleaner drinking water and better water pressure for Brooklyn Park residents -- at a price.The county Department of Public Works announced Friday an $8 million project to repair about 23 miles of water lines owned by Baltimore. The old water system extends along both sides of Ritchie Highway from the city line south to Walton Avenue.Beginning in the fall, public works crews will drill beneath local streets and clean the clogged, 60-year-old lines, which serve about 3,100 households and businesses in Brooklyn Park.

For months, fire hydrants in Brooklyn Park haven't pumped enough water to put out an average house fire. Now, Anne Arundel County fire officials say they have come up with at least a short-term solution.When a fire is reported in Brooklyn Park, the Fire Department will dispatch an engine from the Ferndale station equipped with a 5-inch-diameter hose to the nearest hydrant on Ritchie Highway where the water pressure is better. The driver will be prepared to run the hose -- larger than other engine hoses -- to the fire to provide additional water capacity.