Public works outlines water and sewer FY26 priorities including Patuxent plant upgrades and lead service inventory work

Howard County Department of Public Works (DPW) presented FY2026 water and sewer capital priorities at the council work session, highlighting plant upgrades at the Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant, a power substation hardening project, and an inventory effort to locate potential lead service lines in the county water system.

Treatment plant and system projects DPW staff said rehabilitation of the Little Patuxent ultraviolet disinfection system and replacement of an aging motor control center (from the 1980s) are nearly complete and will improve effluent quality and plant reliability. They also highlighted a proposed power substation rebuild and elevation to harden a critical electrical asset against flooding and climate impacts.

A number of sewer projects were described as multi‑stage efforts driven by easement acquisition and real‑estate challenges. Staff said large interceptor projects sometimes require many property easements and are delivered as a series of contracts starting at one end; where easement acquisition is slow or complex, construction phases may be delayed. DPW said a mixture of design and construction funds are in the FY26 request across multiple sewer improvement projects.

Lead service‑line inventory DPW staff said the county supplied the Environmental Protection Agency with its current inventory in October 2024 and that a continued inventory effort is ongoing. They said the county does not currently have a large backlog of known lead lines in the public system, but that verification requires a mix of desktop study, specialized inspection technology and, in some cases, potholing and excavation to verify pipe materials. Staff noted that current FY26 funds support the inventory and verification effort; funding for remediation, if lead lines are found on private property, has not been secured through grant or loan programs yet.

Why it matters: The Little Patuxent upgrades improve treatment reliability and discharge quality, a direct environmental and public‑health priority. Large interceptor and pump station projects can be costly and take years because of right‑of‑way needs; the lead‑line inventory is an EPA compliance and public‑health activity with potential downstream remediation costs.

What’s next: DPW will proceed with substation hardening design, continue interceptor easement acquisition and advance the lead inventory program. Staff offered to provide maps and the master‑plan update to the council as the county updates its water system master plan.