State Health, Environment Departments Advise Residents To Avoid Contact With Back River Water Following Contamination

The state health and environment departments are advising residents to avoid contact with water in the Back River, saying elevated levels of contaminants could lead to illness. “The health advisory is a necessary and protective step in our broader effort to stabilize the situation and dramatically improve the operation and maintenance of Baltimore’s world-class wastewater asset,” said Maryland Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles. Both Herring Run and Moores Run in Baltimore City feed into the Back River, which stretches from the city-county line to Essex in Southeast Baltimore County before emptying out into the Chesapeake Bay.