Published: March 22, 2009 12:06 am      

Stimulus money will pay for local water projects

CUMBERLAND — Most of the water projects in Allegany County that sought some of the $119.2 million in federal stimulus money will be funded, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Cumberland will receive $6 million to help upgrade its wastewater treatment plant, and $1,371,982 will be granted to help rehabilitate the Braddock Run interceptor in LaVale, according to the press release from Gov. Martin O’Malley’s office.

The proposed funding list billed the repair of malfunctioning water release gates at the Savage River Dam as a state emergency and allocated $6 million to Allegany County for the project.

The drinking water category lists $815,000 for the laying of a water line that would provide safe drinking water to Mount Savage and $733,000 to Garrett County for a Mountain Lake Park project.

Funding for two combined sewer overflow projects in Frostburg, however, was not announced.

MDE received requests totaling $3.7 billion for water and wastewater projects from throughout the state. At least one project in each of Maryland’s counties was funded. The funding is subject to approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and federal grant award process.

Stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be available for various other types of projects and those choices will be made throughout 2009.