Westminster just scored roughly $1.09 million in federal money to help build PUREWater Westminster, a planned facility that will turn treated wastewater into a supplemental drinking-water source. Billed as Maryland’s first indirect potable-reuse plant, the project will further purify already treated effluent, send the finished water back to Cranberry Reservoir, then run it through the city’s drinking-water plant again. City officials say the system will give residents a drought-resistant backup supply, with construction expected to start in 2027, as reported by WBAL NewsRadio.
Federal Cash Backs Westminster’s Big Water Bet
The $1,092,000 allocation appears as a Congressionally Directed Spending line item in federal appropriations summaries, according to a press release from Sen. Chris Van Hollen. The release describes the funding as support for the “first indirect water reuse facility in Maryland,” intended to give Westminster a permanent, drought-resistant water source.
How Westminster’s ‘Toilet-To-Tap’ System Will Work
PUREWater Westminster is designed as a multi-step “treatment train” that will polish treated effluent before it goes to Cranberry Reservoir, then send it back through the city’s drinking-water plant, as reported by WBAL-TV. The process will include ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet, advanced oxidation, and granular activated carbon. City engineers ran a nine-month pilot and say water samples routinely met or exceeded federal standards, including non-detect results for certain PFAS compounds. Early estimates put the initial build in the mid-teens of millions of dollars, with a plan to phase in treatment for a modest share of Westminster’s total wastewater at first.
Permits, Timeline And The Funding Puzzle
Westminster has submitted an Indirect Potable Reuse permit application that lists the PUREWater facility at 1117 Old New Windsor Pike and outlines the public review steps, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. The project is also included in the state’s fiscal 2027 capital analysis and in county planning materials, which place the Westminster Water Reuse Project in the funding plan and show an operational target around 2027, per the Maryland General Assembly and Carroll County. Local and state officials describe the new federal award as an early chunk of a larger mix of federal, state, and local money that will be needed to finish design and construction.
Why Westminster Is Pushing Reuse Now
City leaders say this is not a theoretical worry. Westminster lived through mandatory restrictions during the 2001 to 2002 drought and at times had to rely on trucked-in drinking water, and officials now see reuse as a way to avoid replaying that scenario, according to reporting by Phys.org. That history, combined with the successful pilot program and a new permitting pathway, helped build political and regulatory momentum behind the project.
What Residents Can Expect Next
Design work, permitting, and public outreach are still underway. Mayor Mona Becker has described PUREWater as the city’s answer to ensuring a sustainable and secure water supply for generations of future residents, according to the City of Westminster. Residents can track permit notices, FAQs, and project updates on the city’s PUREWater pages as officials work to lock in the rest of the financing ahead of the planned 2027 construction start.
