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Welcome to the Chesapeake Bay Chapter Page for the Environmental & Water Resources Institute!

Our mission is to advance the science and profession of engineering in the Environmental and Water Resources disciplines.

Upcoming Events

April 16, 2025 - Baltimore Penninsula: Low Impact Facilities Integrated into a Highly Urban Environment (Virtual)

Baltimore Penninsula: Low Impact Facilities Integrated into a Highly Urban Environment

Baltimore Peninsula (formerly known as Port Covington) is a 183-acre area on the south side of Baltimore City, immediately south of I-95 and bounded by the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River on the east, south, and west sides. The site formerly housed the Baltimore Sun, and still currently houses Rye Street Tavern, City Garage, and the former Tidewater Yacht Service Center. The first phase of the project included approximately 25 acres on the east side of the peninsula and created a new public street network based on an approved Master Plan, as well as 5 parcels developed with a mix of residential, office, and retail uses. As part of the development, stormwater management was required per MDE and Baltimore City regulations. In order to meet those regulations, 119 microbioretention facilities were integrated into the streetscape design to treat approximately 5.5 acres of impervious area of the 7.7 acres required. STV Incorporated (STV) and Daft McCune Walker (DMW) coordinated and collaborated with various disciplines as well as Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DoT) and Department of Public Works (DPW) throughout the design process to ensure regulatory approval and a successful project.

Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Location: Virtual

Start Time: 12-1pm

Registration and Info: $10 - ASCE Collaborate

Speaker Info: Here

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) with reclaimed wastewater

Dr. Sheng will provide a comprehensive overview of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) processes, focusing on the key stages from source water selection and pretreatment to recharge methods, storage, and recovery. He will discuss the potential need for post-treatment, offering insights through real-world case examples. The presentation will also cover the regulatory requirements and standard guidelines essential for the design and operation of MAR systems. Attendees will gain a deep understanding of the technical, operational, and regulatory aspects of MAR, making it a valuable session for professionals involved in water resource management.

Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Location: Virtual

Start Time: 12-1pm

Registration and Info: $10 - ASCE Collaborate

Speaker Info: Here

Past Presentations:

Storm Drain Asset Management (SDAM) Hydraulic Modeling Protocol and Green Infrastructure Implementation in Baltimore County, MD

This presentation provides an overview of the Hydraulic Modeling module developed by McCormick Taylor for Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT) Storm Drainage Asset Management (SDAM) Assessment Toolset. The protocol was developed for use by DPWT to perform comparative Level of Service (LOS) hydraulic analyses of their drainage infrastructure. This capacity analysis served as one piece of a larger rating system which the SDAM team developed to prioritize areas for future infrastructure improvement projects based on assessed level of service and cost and risk analyses.

McCormick Taylor utilized county-provided GIS and field-collected data to hydraulically model six (6) pilot watersheds within the county. Incorporating lessons learned during the development of the pilot models, McCormick Taylor developed a protocol to be implemented county-wide for integration into their SDAM program. The protocol specifies the use of ArcGIS ArcMap Software for data collection and refinement, and PCSWMM hydraulic modeling software for the hydraulic analyses. Since the development of McCormick Taylor’s protocol, DPW has continued modeling various watersheds throughout the county. The modeling results are being used to assess the need for and effectiveness of proposed green infrastructure (GI) implementations, and storm drain infrastructure improvement projects county-wide.

McCormick Taylor was also involved in the pilot program for GI Implementation. An overview of the pilot GI project, including the design and construction process, and lessons learned will be discussed during this presentation.

Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Location: Virtual

Start Time: 12-1pm

Registration and Info: $10 - ASCE Collaborate

Speaker Info: Here

Advancing Climate Equity: BSEC's Role in Sustainable Stormwater Management in Baltimore

Dr. James Hunter is presenting on " Advancing Climate Equity: BSEC's Role in Sustainable Stormwater Management in Baltimore."

As climate change intensifies, the most severe impacts are felt by underinvested urban communities, which grapple with environmental challenges such as pollution, flooding, and heat. In response, the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative (BSEC) has pioneered a unique approach to climate action. Dr. James Hunter presents how the BSEC is transforming urban climate solutions through close partnerships with Baltimore's communities. This presentation will explore how the BSEC integrates community priorities into climate science, continuously adapting strategies based on real-time data and local input. Discover how this innovative model aims to build a community-centered urban climate observatory and drive equitable climate action in Baltimore.

Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Location: Virtual

Start Time: 12-1pm

Registration and Info: $10 - ASCE Collaborate

Speaker Info: Here

Druid Lake and Ashburton Tank Construction
and Happy Hour!

A consent decree between the City of Baltimore, Maryland and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required shutting down two storage tanks in Baltimore's active water supply and transferring the water to two new pre-stressed concrete tanks. The challenges of these two concurrent projects worth a combined $271 million will be highlighted. Learn about the team's challenges and innovative approach to major construction in active drinking water reservoirs. The discussion will include how the team continued to meet the EPA's drinking water standards during construction and completed the work with few changes.

Date: Thursday, April 4, 2024

Location: The Public Works Experience (https://pwexperience.org/)

751 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21202 (corner of Eastern Ave and President Street)

Parking: Penn Quill Parking (diagonal from PWE) $10

Little Italy Garage (4 blocks away) $4

Street parking in Little Italy (3 hour zone - free)

Start Time: Happy Hour 5:30p - 7p (water, soda, beer, wine, and snacks)

Dinner 7p (pizza from Angelina's of Little Italy, tossed salad)

Presentation: 7:30p Druid Lake / Ashburton Covered Water Storage Tanks (Mike Schultz, RK&K, Speaker)

Adjourn / Clean-up: 8:30-9p

Registration and Info: $25 - ASCE Collaborate

Speaker Info: Coming Soon!

Roman Aqueducts and Water Supply: Modern Lessons from Ancient Infrastructure

The Romans created history's most famous water infrastructure, with often mostly intact remains of aqueducts stretching across parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Learn valuable lessons that we can apply to today's water infrastructure design, even after 2,000 years have passed. How was drinking water sourced? Was it treated? Who had access to water & how? How was water used? And upon delivery, where did all this water go? What elements of Roman water infrastructure do we see present in modern engineering? Lastly, how in the world did this infrastructure last so long?

Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Location: Virtual

Start Time: 12pm-1pm

Registration and Info: ASCE Collaborate

Speaker Info: HERE

Ellicott City Safe and Sound Flood Mitigation Plan Update

In July 2016 and again in May 2018 Historic Ellicott City was hit by catastrophic flooding that caused extensive property damage, destroyed infrastructure, and claimed several lives. In May 2019 the Howard County Executive announced the Ellicott City Safe and Sound Flood Mitigation Plan which would serve as a long term plan to minimize the impacts of future large storms on downtown Ellicott City. The plan included numerous large flood control capital projects, enhanced public warning systems, public education, and other items that, when completed, would provide for a safer and more resilient Historic Ellicott City. Many of the Safe and Sound initiatives have already been completed and the rest are in various stages of design. This presentation will provide an update on the many facets of the Ellicott City Safe and Sound Flood Mitigation Plan.

Date: Wednesday, January 17, 2023

Location: Virtual

Start Time: 12pm-1pm

Registration and Info: Here

Speaker Info: Here

The Clean Water Act and Waters of the US - What Now?

Andrew Der will give a cursory overview of the basis of the Clean Water Act and past and current legislation regarding how it applies to establishing the limits of Waters of the Unites States, including wetlands, in the context of construction projects and some permitting considerations - including determining extent of jurisdictional impact, application review process, and interagency coordination.

Date: Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Location: Virtual

Start Time: 12pm-1pm

Registration and Info: Here

Speaker Info: Here

EWRI Tunnel Vision Webinar Series: 2 of 4- DC Water and Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

In partnership with the EWRI Houston Chapter, join us for session two of four in our tunnel webinar series featuring flagship tunnel programs across the country. The September 21 series showcases the DC Water Clean Rivers Project and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) deep tunnel system. Check out our EWRI page for the other events in the Tunnel Vision series: https://ascehouston.org/EWRI.

Date: Thursday, September 21, 2023

Location: Virtual

Start Time: 12pm-1pm

Registration and Info: HERE