PITTSVILLE, Md. -- Upgrades to the town's water treatment plant are ongoing, and neighbors are hopeful the improvements will start showing up in their water.
Demolition work began on Wednesday as crews removed outdated equipment from the roof and cleaned or replaced several pipes. That being said, it wasn't an overly eventful morning, and most of the demo work is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2nd.
Still, it's the start of a two-day demolition effort that will be part of a much larger project to fix a persisting problem: discolored and smelly water.
"You know, I'll go to the bathroom and flush and when the water comes up it's just as yellow as it was when it went down," said Shane Moran, chuckling.
Now, Moran does take the issue seriously, and it's a big reason he's glad the town is moving in what he believes is the right direction.
"I mean, it tells us that the town is listening to us and being proactive," said Moran. "I'm real happy that the town is trying their best to handle the problem."
Pittsville is in the midst of a $2.7 million project to overhaul the entire water treatment plant. A large portion of the project is being funded through state grants.
So far, the town has been awarded an $800,000 Community Development Block Grant and is in line to receive $986,000 through a reimbursement program via the Maryland Department of the Environment.
The town has already pulled $600,000 from its surplus account to fund ongoing upgrades.
"There is half a million dollars of grant funds that the town is waiting to receive," said Town Manager Joe Mangini. "We have submitted the proper paperwork, it has been reviewed, it has been approved. We're just waiting for MDE to send us the checks."
MDE confirmed to WBOC that it has approved $500,000 in reimbursements. The state agency said the town should receive the money in the coming weeks.
Pittsville also has a $1.7 million state loan it can use once the money from MDE runs out.
Mangini is hopeful the work will make a difference when it's all said and done.
"I can't guarantee, we're going to do the best we can," said Mangini. "I'm going to say it should be 95% to the point that the water is going to be clear coming out."
According to Mangini, the upgrades are expected to wrap up at the end of 2025. He said the town also has its sights set on another project that could lead to cleaner-looking water.
"We're hoping to be able to have a third well online that will reach into another aquifer," said Mangini. "We can have a better quality water coming out so that it won't require us to do as much treatment."
Mangini reiterated that Pittsville's water is completely safe to drink.