WSSC outlines 20-year sewer master plan and projections for Prince George's County

Tom Hilton, planning division manager at WSSC Water, told the Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee that WSSC is preparing a 20-year systemwide master plan and a set of 10-year facility plans to guide capital investments and manage aging infrastructure.

"So, we are preparing a 20 year system wide master plan," Hilton said, describing a two-stage approach: a systemwide master plan followed by site-specific facility plans that will identify alternatives, priorities and costs.

Hilton presented current flow allocations and projections: about 43% of county flows go to the Blue Plains regional plant (roughly 40.7 million gallons per day from county customers to Blue Plains as presented), Parkway receives about 6% (6.2 MGD), Western Branch and Piscataway each about 25% (each ~23.3 MGD), and roughly 1% goes to Charles County's Mattawoman plant. He said Piscataway currently operates at about 78% of its 30 MGD permitted capacity and is projected to reach about 83% by 2045; Western Branch was presented as approaching 97% utilization by 2045, prompting the need to study expansion or alternatives.

Hilton said the master/facility planning work will include condition assessments, hydraulic modeling and prioritization for the capital improvement program; WSSC expects to complete the master plans by the end of the year and facility plans in the following year. The presentation emphasized regional economies of scale at Blue Plains and the need to balance plant expansions, rehabilitation and demand-management measures.