The City of Salisbury is pleased to share that the Maryland Department of the Environment has awarded $24,660,000 in funding assistance in the State of Maryland Capital Budget for fiscal year 2027.
Salisbury is paving the way on the Eastern Shore for clean drinking water. The funding will support construction of a filter replacement project at the Paleo Water Treatment Plant and upgrades to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. SCADA improvements are necessary to operate new filter controls.
These projects will replace existing green sand pressure filters that have exceeded their useful life and construct a new building to house the filters and treatment equipment for PFAS remediation. Work includes modifications to the current pipe gallery and a new roof on the existing filter building. The new building is also designed to accommodate the Granular Activated Carbon for PFAS removal and Anion Exchange for nitrate removal.
The City of Salisbury currently meets all PFAS standards and is proactively preparing for anticipated regulatory changes in 2031. These upgrades will ensure continued compliance and safeguard water quality for residents. Construction in targeted to begin in summer 2026.
“This investment ensures that Salisbury continues to provide safe, clean drinking water for generations to come,” said Mayor Randy Taylor. “I want to take a moment to recognize Cori Cameron, our former Director of Water Works, who retired earlier this year after 38 years of dedicated service. Cori’s leadership and vision laid the foundation for projects like this, and we are grateful for her commitment to the health and well-being of our community.”
The City of Salisbury extends sincere gratitude for this generosity from the Governor’s Office and we will undoubtedly be grateful for decades to come. We are thankful to the state for these funds that will help the City to cover some of the financial burden of these necessary infrastructure improvements.
Additionally, the Maryland Water Infrastructure Financing Administration announced that Salisbury has been awarded $9,458,000 in federal grant funds through the EPA’s Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Small and Underserved Communities Emerging Contaminants Grant Program. The grant, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will support PFAS remediation at the Paleo Water Treatment Plant.
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About the Department of the Environment funding
The Maryland Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund provides below market interest rate loans, grants, and loan principal forgiveness to local governments and other eligible entities to finance water treatment plant and water supply distribution system improvements. This assistance enables localities to provide safe, adequate, and reliable water supply while maintaining affordable rates. The federal Safe Drinking Water Act provides federal grants to states to capitalize their revolving funds. In FY 2027, a portion of the federal funds reflect Maryland’s share of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds for this program. The FY 2027 budget includes funding for 28 projects in 12 jurisdictions and 1 statewide project.