Hampstead unveils final site plans for PFAS treatment centralization project

Hampstead Planning and Zoning Commission members reviewed final site plans March 26 for a townwide PFAS treatment centralization project that would consolidate treatment at four facilities and is now estimated at $30.1 million, town staff said.

Town zoning administrator: "It's been a very long process to get to this point, but we're starting to see some real progress, see the light at the end of the tunnel, and actually begin moving some dirt, hopefully, in the next few months," the zoning administrator said during the commission meeting.

The project would add or convert buildings at four locations to house granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment and related equipment, according to Jason, an engineer with GMB Engineering, who presented the site plans. The four facilities described were: - North Carol Farms treatment plant (incorporating listed wells) with about 252 gallons per minute (gpm) capacity; - Shiloh treatment plant (incorporating listed wells) with about 175 gpm capacity and an amended forest conservation plat for a mitigation area tied to pipeline work; - Dairy treatment plant (conversion/expansion) with about 226 gpm capacity, a new access road, a SCADA antenna tower and emergency generators; and - Hampstead Valley treatment plant near Lower Beckley'sville Road at Chief Sites Park with about 55 gpm capacity and proposed Leland cypress screening along the property line.

Jason said "the buildings themselves, [have] no substantive change to the shape, size, [or] colors from what we have from the concept plan." He also described site-specific work such as demolition of one existing pump house at the dairy site and retention of other pump houses where appropriate.

Town staff and engineers said centralizing chemical storage and treatment should reduce the number of separate pump-house chemical locations. The zoning administrator said that, as a result, town staff might occasionally make one additional site visit per day at some locations but would generally have fewer separate sites to service. Staff described SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) improvements that allow public works staff to monitor tank levels and remotely start or stop pumps from mobile devices; a new antenna at the dairy site is intended to improve that connectivity.

On procurement and contracts, staff said the town council previously awarded a contract for construction of five new water mains to Mid Atlantic Utilities and that the bid package for mains construction has been submitted to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for review. MDE has already approved procurement of the GAC equipment, and town staff said they are working with manufacturer Newterra on final construction plans. Staff said MDE is also reviewing the construction plans for the water treatment plants and that the town hopes to put the treatment plant construction out to bid in April.

Staff described property access and easement work as complete or in process: a deeded expanded right-of-way for a construction entrance at one site has been recorded, and a Board of Education easement for access to the Shiloh site has been approved by the school board and is being recorded.

On schedule and cost, town staff said pipeline construction may begin by June, the treatment plants are being phased so only one plant is started up at a time, and the construction period is expected to be roughly two years. The zoning administrator said a projected completion date on the latest schedule is June 2027. "Total cost of the project is now $30,100,000," staff said.

Funding remains a central issue. The town previously received an $18.9 million EPA grant for emerging contaminants that was awarded to the state and administered through MDE; staff said MDE distributed the full amount to Hampstead because the town was far along in planning. The town has applied to MDE for an additional $8.1 million to cover a current shortfall. Staff said a preliminary indication of awards is expected in May and official notifications will follow in November. Staff described the town and MDE as among the first entities using the new EPA grant program and said both agencies are working through the process together.

The commission did not vote on the site plans at the March 26 meeting; the plans were introduced for review and discussion and will proceed through the final-review process with MDE and other agencies. Town staff said next steps include obtaining remaining regulatory approvals and moving the treatment-plant construction packages to bid.

What happens next: staff said they expect MDE review to continue, the Board of Public Works will be asked to approve related funding after state review, and bid and contract actions will follow pending those approvals.