Village officials outline multi‑year plan for water, wastewater and new wells as loan repayment looms

Baltimore Village officials told the service committee they are moving ahead with a multi‑year program to replace aging water lines, upgrade the water treatment plant, and bring wastewater inflow and infiltration (I&I) into compliance with Environmental Protection Agency standards, while preparing to apply for state or federal loans to pay for the work.

The village administrator said the council “has already agreed to allow the village administrator to apply for loans for water distribution and [the] water treatment plant as well as looking into getting new wells for the water treatment plant.” The administrator added that the village is negotiating with the EPA over the village’s I&I plan and has submitted a second round of responses to agency questions.

Why it matters: officials said the projects would safeguard the village’s water supply and wastewater treatment for “the next generation” but will require debt to finance construction. Repayment for planning loans would begin next year if the village accepts funding, and officials said residents should expect a near‑term monthly increase in the debt charge to cover the early loan payments.

Officials described the financing sequence as three stages: a planning loan (typically five years), a design loan, and, if the project proceeds, a longer‑term construction loan (officials described a ~20‑year construction loan after design). The village administrator said EPA reviewers asked for a long‑range revenue/expense worksheet covering 40 years; the administrator said that required additional explanation because the village charges a flat monthly sewer/water fee rather than graduated volumetric rates.

“We still have not heard back from them,” the administrator said of EPA, noting that the agency has taken two to two‑and‑a‑half months to respond to the village’s submissions. The administrator described the exchange as “kind of a negotiating process.”

Village staff also reported recent operational steps on the distribution network intended to reduce water loss. The village replaced at least two meters since the prior meeting — one at the Greif site and another at the pool — to better monitor production and losses. Officials said hydrant flushing that began this week likely released “about 250,000 gallons just today,” a process that will continue for several days and temporarily increases measured water use.

Wastewater plant work includes planned gate replacement; staff said new gates are expected to arrive next week but will not be installed until drier weather, likely in July. Staff also reported a roof leak at the wastewater treatment building and presented a $19,000 quote to replace the roof.

Questions and constraints: the administrator warned that some federal grant options require local matches and that larger grant applications carry a significant local cash commitment (an example discussed during the meeting: a grant option tied to the local congressional office would require a roughly 20% local match and officials said the village could not meet a $1.1 million match within 12 months). The administrator said other funding alternatives continue to be explored.

No formal borrowing was approved at the meeting; the council previously authorized the administrator to pursue loan applications. Officials said any change to user charges or the village debt charge will be proposed to council and must be approved before new receipts would be collected.

Ending: Staff said they will continue to negotiate with EPA, seek financing options, install meters to refine leak estimates, and bring any specific loan or rate proposals back to council for formal consideration.