MARYLAND ’S “WASTEWATER SYSTEM OF THE YEAR”

Maryland Rural Water Association and the State of Maryland have named the Town of Snow Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant : Wastewater System of the Year. The plant now has a capacity of 0.5 million gallons per day, and is considered to be among the 66 “major” treatment plants in the State of Maryland, as identified by the Maryland Department of the Environment. As such, the BNR/ENR Upgrade Project was a primary goal for the State of Maryland and EPA and should serve the needs of the town for the next twenty years.

In order to support Chesapeake Bay Restoration efforts, the Town of Snow Hill considered a wastewater treatment plant upgrade for two decades. The Town of Snow Hill continuously attempted to secure funding to make the upgrade affordable. Finally, in September of 2010 the funding possibilities were improving and the project was becoming viable. The Town contracted with David, Bowen, & Friedel, Inc. for the completion of the planning, design, contract administration and inspection. The $12 million project construction was completed by Howard Robson, Inc. in 2013.

The Mayor and Town Council considered this plant upgrade as one of the Town priorities. Kelly Brewington, Town Manager; Frank Daniels, Plant Superintendent; and other Town staff members took great interest in the project and worked closely with Davis, Bowen & Friedel as the project design progressed. This high level of interest and attention remained throughout the construction of the facility upgrade. Frank Daniels is to be commended for keeping the existing operations functional throughout the period of construction. As a result of this impressive effort, the upgrade project was fully operational on schedule and below budget. The upgraded treatment facility is far exceeding the difficult ENR treatment level required by MDE. In fact, the quality of effluent from the Snow Hill plant is about half of what the permit requires.

All funding agency staff members went above and beyond the call of duty for the project. Funding agencies that made this upgrade possible include the Maryland Department of the Environment, United States Department of Agriculture - Rural Development and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Block Grant Program.