We must modernize shared water systems in the Baltimore region
The City of Baltimore and Baltimore County are forever bonded, with a constant flow of people from one jurisdiction to the other. County residents often head downtown to discover a new restaurant or experience any of Baltimore’s diverse collection of cultural attractions, including the Orioles and Ravens. And Baltimoreans come to the county to shop or enjoy hundreds of miles of parks and stunning waterfront. Recent public events like the Maryland Cycling Classic, which traversed 120 miles of county and city roads, only remind us just how inexplicably linked the entire region is.
As leaders, we are united not only by geography, but also a shared commitment to our constituents and a dedication to ensuring our services are the best they can be. Perhaps one of our most emblematic connections is our shared drinking water and sanitary sewer systems, which are some of the most expansive and interconnected in the country. These utilities, which are owned and operated by Baltimore City and serve 1.8 million residents there, as well as in Baltimore County and beyond, also are governed by an agreement that has not been meaningfully reviewed or updated in over 50 years.
This aging agreement — a decade older than each of us — is in serious need of reform to reflect modern realities and our region’s incredible growth. Recognizing this, our jurisdictions came together to conduct a comprehensive, independent review that identified a number of challenges around customer billing, regional coordination and long-term planning for capital improvements.
Thanks to that review and the hard work of our partners, we are now ready to begin the next steps to deliver a stronger, more collaborative future. This year, the General Assembly passed legislation to create the Baltimore Regional Water Governance Task Force to develop actionable recommendations for an updated utility governance structure that can best ensure all our residents efficiently, equitably and sustainably receive high-quality water and sewage services.
Chaired by Baltimore City Comptroller Bill Henry, this task force is composed of a diverse collection of civic, environmental and labor experts, local stakeholders and community leaders who will leverage their extensive knowledge, experience and commitment to water sustainability in this vital work.
As the leaders of Baltimore City and Baltimore County, we are ready to embrace this process to modernize government services. But one thing should be made clear: We stand steadfast and united in our commitment to oppose any attempt to privatize these utility systems, which are — and should remain — assets owned by the City of Baltimore and, by extension, the people of our region. Our water system, with its incredible water quality, is one of the best utility assets our region has.
To ensure this process also reflects our vision for community-driven government, the Baltimore Regional Water Governance Task Force will officially kick off its work this week, during the first of what will be a series of public meetings. We welcome and encourage residents to join these meetings, which will be held across our region over the coming months, to hear directly from these experts and to add their vital voices into this discussion. Together, we can make certain that the task force’s final report, set to be completed early next year, is comprehensive, holistic and community-driven.
This aggressive timeline reflects our equally aggressive focus on making progress on this long overdue issue. We have already started to make improvements to the region’s water system over the past few years. And when confronted with challenges, many of which other aging water systems also face around the country, our dedicated public servants have acted with diligence and care. But it’s clear we must do more.
This once-in-a-generation collaboration is also the result of the work of so many dedicated leaders in Maryland, including Gov. Wes Moore, Senate President Bill Ferguson, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones and the Baltimore City and County Delegations, who join us in thinking regionally, embracing the challenge of ensuring the next generation will not inherit the legacy of decisions that no longer reflect our region’s needs, and who are ready to deliver on the promise of our region’s shared future.
We thank them and all the members of the task force for their willingness to help drive this effort. Together, we will create a modern, efficient and flexible utility that reflects our region’s evolution over the past 50 years and will equitably serve all our neighbors for decades to come.