BALTIMORE, MD (August 12, 2014) – The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) announced two sanitary sewer overflows this afternoon, both believed due to heavy volume of rain infiltrating the sewer system. 

Utility Maintenance crews responded to a report at 2:19 p.m. of an overflow originating at 1901 Falls Road, where an estimated flow of 50 gallons per minute was released into the Jones Falls. Despite attempts to mitigate the problem, the overflow was ongoing as of late Tuesday afternoon.

Around 4 p.m., crews at the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant in South Baltimore discovered an overflow from an area where sewage is filtered before it enters the plant. Crews immediately removed the screens that filter the incoming sewage in order to allow as much sewage into the facility as quickly as possible. The overflow was continuing late Tuesday afternoon. Supervisors had no estimate of the total overflow, though it was believed to exceed 10,000 gallons.

The Department of Public Works encourages residents to report suspected sewer overflows to 311. The Maryland Department of the Environment and the Baltimore City Health Department have been notified of these events.

For more information about health concerns as a result of overflows, please visit the Baltimore City Health Department website athttp://www.baltimorehealth.org/water.html.