BERLIN– The town will hold an open house at its newest “state-of-the-art” spray irrigation site on Friday, Oct. 3.
The Five Mile Branch Spray Irrigation Facility on 7303 Five Mile Branch Road in Newark will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Built in 2012, the $3.5 million facility received funding from the Maryland Department of the Environment, Water Quality Financing Administration and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Community Development Block Grant.
Water Resources / Public Works Director Jane Kreiter said Berlin’s two spray irrigation facilities have eliminated surface discharge into coastal bays.
“We spray irrigate 100 percent our treated wastewater into forest land, which can be harvested and used,” she said. “It’s truly recycling of our wastewater. The additional nutrients that might be present actually help the trees grow faster.”
The complex is the largest government spray irrigation facility in the state, and the building is a key part of Berlin’s progressive approach to environmental stewardship, Kreiter said.
“We started back in 1992 when there was a lot of discussion about the nutrients in our coastal bays,” said Kreiter. “That’s when Berlin decided to build its first spray irrigation facility. In the past, water would be treated at a water treatment plant and then discharged into Kitts Branch, which eventually goes into Newport Bay.”
The state lists Newport Bay as an impaired body of water. By converting to spray irrigation, Berlin has eliminated its adverse affect on those protected waters.
Kreiter said many people, including Worcester County Commissioners, initially had reservations about spray irrigation.
“Because it’s treated wastewater they think we’re just taking it and spraying it in the woods,” she said. “They think there’s toilet paper hanging from the trees. When we had to go to the county commissioners to get this approved, there was quite a bit of opposition. People liked the idea, but said, ‘not in our backyard.’”
After offering tours of the existing facility, the commissioners changed their tunes.
“Those that took us up on it were amazed,” said Kreiter. “It’s more like a park area than anything. It’s not at all what you would think.”
The new facility currently irrigates 40 acres in two separate zones and has the potential to irrigate an additional 160 acres of town property.
Wastewater Superintendent Jamey Latchum hopes the open house will help educate the public on the benefits of spray facilities.
“I want people to see that we’re not spraying raw wastewater,” he said. “It’s actually treated to high-quality water and we’re just replenishing the water table that’s being depleted all the time.”
“I’m sure it’s the first time we’ve ever had an open house for a facility like that, but we’re proud of what the folks in the wastewater and the entire Water Resources Department has done to make this facility state-of-the-art,” said Berlin Mayor Gee Williams. “It’s something that’s really hard to appreciate unless you see it, so we wanted everybody to have the opportunity to come out and make their own judgment, look at things and see what we’re talking about.”
From Main Street and Route 113, head south toward Snow Hill for approximately 9.5 miles. Turn right on Five Mile Branch Road and the facility will be on the left in approximately 1.6 miles.
The Five Mile Branch Spray Irrigation Facility on 7303 Five Mile Branch Road in Newark will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Built in 2012, the $3.5 million facility received funding from the Maryland Department of the Environment, Water Quality Financing Administration and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Community Development Block Grant.
Water Resources / Public Works Director Jane Kreiter said Berlin’s two spray irrigation facilities have eliminated surface discharge into coastal bays.
“We spray irrigate 100 percent our treated wastewater into forest land, which can be harvested and used,” she said. “It’s truly recycling of our wastewater. The additional nutrients that might be present actually help the trees grow faster.”
The complex is the largest government spray irrigation facility in the state, and the building is a key part of Berlin’s progressive approach to environmental stewardship, Kreiter said.
“We started back in 1992 when there was a lot of discussion about the nutrients in our coastal bays,” said Kreiter. “That’s when Berlin decided to build its first spray irrigation facility. In the past, water would be treated at a water treatment plant and then discharged into Kitts Branch, which eventually goes into Newport Bay.”
The state lists Newport Bay as an impaired body of water. By converting to spray irrigation, Berlin has eliminated its adverse affect on those protected waters.
Kreiter said many people, including Worcester County Commissioners, initially had reservations about spray irrigation.
“Because it’s treated wastewater they think we’re just taking it and spraying it in the woods,” she said. “They think there’s toilet paper hanging from the trees. When we had to go to the county commissioners to get this approved, there was quite a bit of opposition. People liked the idea, but said, ‘not in our backyard.’”
After offering tours of the existing facility, the commissioners changed their tunes.
“Those that took us up on it were amazed,” said Kreiter. “It’s more like a park area than anything. It’s not at all what you would think.”
The new facility currently irrigates 40 acres in two separate zones and has the potential to irrigate an additional 160 acres of town property.
Wastewater Superintendent Jamey Latchum hopes the open house will help educate the public on the benefits of spray facilities.
“I want people to see that we’re not spraying raw wastewater,” he said. “It’s actually treated to high-quality water and we’re just replenishing the water table that’s being depleted all the time.”
“I’m sure it’s the first time we’ve ever had an open house for a facility like that, but we’re proud of what the folks in the wastewater and the entire Water Resources Department has done to make this facility state-of-the-art,” said Berlin Mayor Gee Williams. “It’s something that’s really hard to appreciate unless you see it, so we wanted everybody to have the opportunity to come out and make their own judgment, look at things and see what we’re talking about.”
From Main Street and Route 113, head south toward Snow Hill for approximately 9.5 miles. Turn right on Five Mile Branch Road and the facility will be on the left in approximately 1.6 miles.