Maryland could depart from Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant in five weeks, leaving residents frustrated

State management of the troubled Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant could end in as little as five weeks, an official from the Maryland Department of the Environment said during a community meeting Tuesday night in Essex. The plant, which is owned and operated by Baltimore City but located in Baltimore County, has complied with its environmental permit for the past seven weeks following months of pollution overages, said Lee Currey, director of MDE’s water and science administration.