A Baltimore County lawmaker is telling Dundalk homeowners to hit back at persistent sewage plant problems in a place it might actually get officials' attention: their property tax bills. Persistent problems at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant have been reported by nearby residents, and the lawmaker is urging property owners to formally appeal their tax assessments as a pressure tactic.
Long, who represents the Dundalk area, made the appeal, according to WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and FM 101.5. The plant's chronic troubles have raised concerns among people who live closest to it. A town hall is also planned so residents can discuss concerns about the plant.
The Back River plant itself is massive by any measure. It serves Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Although it sits in Dundalk, Baltimore City is responsible for the plant, while the Maryland Department of the Environment is the regulator.
A History of Breakdowns and Broken Promises
This is not the plant's first brush with government intervention. In March 2022, the state ordered the Maryland Environmental Service to temporarily take over Back River's operations after severe maintenance failures and illegal pollutant discharges. At the time, MDE inspectors found that only two of the plant's 11 primary settling tanks were in service, with one requiring maintenance, as reported by Baltimore Brew.
The fallout continued into November 2023, when Baltimore City settled state and federal environmental lawsuits brought by MDE and Blue Water Baltimore. The judicial consent decree imposed $4.75 million in civil penalties, including $1.9 million earmarked for local watershed restoration grants, and set an enforceable timeline for infrastructure repairs. Hoodline previously reported that DPW invested $250M in upgrades at Back River and the Patapsco plant under that decree. As part of the settlement, the city was also required to install outfall warning lights that flash red during sewage bypass events. Residents can sign up for bypass-warning notifications.
Sludge Backups and the Smell Driving Complaints
The plant's sludge processing has faced problems. A March 2023 dust explosion caused $10 million in damages at contractor Synagro's pellet facility, and a second industrial fire struck in September 2025, per reporting from Chesapeake Bay Magazine. Residents downwind of Back River have reported odors. Reporting has also raised questions about the treatment process.
How the Tax Appeal Strategy Would Actually Work
Property owners considering an appeal would need to follow the applicable deadline, according to guidance from AppealDesk.
The tax-appeal question has financial implications for Dundalk homeowners. The mechanics of a challenge would be part of any tax-appeal discussion. Long represents the Dundalk area.
Whether a wave of tax appeals actually moves the needle on the plant's underlying problems remains to be seen, but the tax-appeal proposal is straightforward: if regulators won't fix Back River, maybe a hit to the city and county's tax rolls will force the issue.
