Wastewater Treatment Enhancements

What?

Across seven water reclamation facilities, DPW collects and treats 12 billion gallons of wastewater from over 130,000 households and businesses in the County every year. The investments we make at our water reclamation facilities enable each plant to remove far greater amounts of nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, than required by State and Federal agencies. Currently, we are exceeding performance requirements by 50%. These continued investments in innovative technology and advanced treatment will result in cleaner wastewater that is eventually discharged to our rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

Phosphorus has dropped from 44,000 pounds per year in 2014 to 12,000 pounds in 2022. Nitrogen dropped from 654,000 pounds per year in 2014 to 159,000 pounds in 2022

Why?

Water reclamation facilities process sewage, a significant source of nitrogen and phosphorus, from homes, businesses, and industries across the County. Improving wastewater treatment is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce water pollution and protect aquatic habitats and environments.

Learn More Anne Arundel's Award-Winning Wastewater Treatment Facilities

How?

Most of Anne Arundel County's Water Reclamation Facilities (WRFs) were upgraded to Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) technology by 2017. These ENR upgrades, supported by the Bay Restoration Fund, have enabled each plant to remove a far greater amount of nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus

Enhanced Nutrient Removal process

Step 1 (Goes to Step 2 and 6)

  • Influent Wastewater
  • Preliminary Treatment
  • Primary Setting

Step 2 (Goes to Step 3)

  • Aeration Tanks (Nutrient Removal)

Step 3 (Goes to Step 4 and 6)

  • Secondary Setting

Step 4 (Goes to Step 5)

  • Filters
  • Disinfection and Post-Air

Step 5

  • Highly Treated Effluent

Step 6 (Goes to Step 7)

  • Solids Thickening
  • Dewatering and Lime Stabilization

Step 7

  • Class B Biosolids Land Application

Over the past several years our award-winning facilities have been performing significantly less than the allowable limits for phosphorous and nitrogen. The consistent performance of the treatment facilities has earned recognition from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.

DPW is working to develop more tools to help run and maintain these state of the art facilities that will improve the monitoring and control of these processes and improve equipment reliability.

Innovative process improvements will be examined to determine where current approaches can be modified to improve performance, increase efficiency, or enhance reliability.

The goal of these efforts is to maximize the overall performance of the Water Reclamation Facilities while making the best use of the funds provided by DPW's customers.