City of Salisbury Secures $24.6-Million for Water Treatment Plant Upgrades

The City of Salisbury has been awarded $24.6-million from the Maryland Department of the Environment in the State of Maryland FY 2027 Capital Budget for upgrades to the water treatment plant. The funding will support construction of a filter replacement project at the Paleo Water Treatment Plant and upgrades to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Construction is expected to begin this summer. The upgrades will ensure continued compliance and safeguard water quality for residents.

Additional information from the City of Salisbury:  

Salisbury is paving the way on the Eastern Shore for clean drinking water. The funding will support construction of a filter replacement project at the Paleo Water Treatment Plant and upgrades to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. SCADA improvements are necessary to operate new filter controls.

These projects will replace existing green sand pressure filters that have exceeded their useful life and construct a new building to house the filters and treatment equipment for PFAS remediation. Work includes modifications to the current pipe gallery and a new roof on the existing filter building. The new building is also designed to accommodate the Granular Activated Carbon for PFAS removal and Anion Exchange for nitrate removal.

The City of Salisbury currently meets all PFAS standards and is proactively preparing for anticipated regulatory changes in 2031. These upgrades will ensure continued compliance and safeguard water quality for residents. Construction in targeted to begin in summer 2026.

“This investment ensures that Salisbury continues to provide safe, clean drinking water for generations to come,” said Mayor Randy Taylor. “I want to take a moment to recognize Cori Cameron, our former Director of Water Works, who retired earlier this year after 38 years of dedicated service. Cori’s leadership and vision laid the foundation for projects like this, and we are grateful for her commitment to the health and well-being of our community.”

The City of Salisbury extends sincere gratitude for this generosity from the Governor’s Office and we will undoubtedly be grateful for decades to come. We are thankful to the state for these funds that will help the City to cover some of the financial burden of these necessary infrastructure improvements.

Additionally, the Maryland Water Infrastructure Financing Administration announced that Salisbury has been awarded $9,458,000 in federal grant funds through the EPA’s Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Small and Underserved Communities Emerging Contaminants Grant Program. The grant, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will support PFAS remediation at the Paleo Water Treatment Plant.

MD De