Baltimore Sewer Backup Assistance Programs Stall

Two programs aimed at helping residents safely clean up overflows caused by aging pipes are in limbo due to a dispute between the city and the EPA.

1 minute read

August 20, 2024, 6:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Worker in blue pants holding hose while standing in flooded interior room.

payamona / Adobe Stock

Baltimore residents are left unable to access a program meant to assist them with the cleanup from sewage backups, reports Aman Azhar for Inside Climate News.

As Azhar explains, “Baltimore City runs two cleanup programs aimed at providing relief to homeowners, tenants and property managers dealing with sewage backup entering their homes due to wet weather conditions and clogged public pipes.” Now, a dispute between the city and the EPA has stalled the programs.

According to Baltimore DPW Director Richard Luna, the department rejected all 23 applications for funds under the Expedited Reimbursement Program in 2023 and approved 3 out of 33 applications in 2024. “Under the SOS program, Luna said, around $77,000 was given to 11 households in 2023 and four households properties received nearly $44,000 in 2024.”

“A 2019 study documented a number of diseases linked to fecal matter in Baltimore wastewater, which often inundated residents’ homes and basements as a result of a sewage backup. Raw sewage can be especially harmful when residents are forced to undertake the cleanup themselves because it contains pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites, the study said.” Meanwhile, climate change is causing more frequent and severe storms that cause sewer overflows, the report warns. 

Thursday, August 15, 2024 in Inside Climate News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17, 2025 - San José Spotlight

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

White freight truck on asphalt highway with sunset in background.

How a Truck Tax Could Save the Highway Trust Fund

The freight trucking industry is a prime candidate for a mileage tax that would boost road maintenance revenue.

7 hours ago - Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Inside of empty Los Angeles Metro train.

Metro Data: LA Transit Ridership Fell Due to Immigration Raids

Metro ridership data reveal how the ICE raids sweeping Los Angeles are disrupting daily life and impacting how people move around the city.

July 24 - Streetsblog LA

Close-up of front of Portland public bus with TriMet ad on front reading "TriMet: How Life Moves"

Portland Transit Agency Announces Planned Service Cuts

TriMet says the state legislature’s failure to pass a bill that would have funded transit means it will have to make significant service cuts over the next several years.

July 24 - TriMet News