CAMBRIDGE, Md. - A homeowner in Cambridge says sewage overflows are contaminating a creek that runs along his backyard, and he believes the city is to blame.
Michael Miller, who lives along Fishing Creek just outside city limits, said the issue has prevented him from harvesting oysters on his property.
"Since I bought the property in 2015, we've never been able to collect the oysters. And it's always been due to this—to what I was told was a rain/ sewage overflow coming out of Cambridge," Miller said. "We have a ton of oysters. We're overloaded with big, fat, juicy oysters, and we can't touch them because there's no point collecting them if you can't eat them."
City officials acknowledge that Cambridge has experienced frequent sanitary sewer overflows, but they attribute the issue to rain.
"We occasionally see during a high rain event, it's pushing the wastewater up through our manholes," City Manager Glenn Steckman said.
The problem, Steckman said, stems from issues with the city's collection lines, and it typically occurs in waterfront neighborhoods.
According to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), the area around Miller’s property is restricted from shellfish harvesting. The agency could not confirm to WBOC whether the restriction is due to sewer overflows, but monthly water samples indicate the area does not meet safety standards.
The city of Cambridge said it is aware of the overflows and reports them to the state. Officials call it a long-term issue but say efforts are underway to address it.
The city told WBOC it is investing in new pump stations to prevent future overflows.