Harford County Executive David R. Craig has announced an agreement between Harford County Government and the City of Aberdeen for additional water for the city. The agreement was signed today at City Hall in Aberdeen.
“We have been working for months to bring closure to the water issue as it relates to the City of Aberdeen,” County Executive Craig stated. “This agreement clearly reflects the City of Aberdeen is open for business. The agreement means businesses will have an additional 100,000 gallons of water to support their operations, which is vital to our county, the City of Aberdeen and our military partners at the Aberdeen Proving Ground,” Craig stated.
Those attending the signing of the new agreement included Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, Councilman Richard Slutzky, Councilman Dion Guthrie, Councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti, and members of the County Executive’s Cabinet.
The original water contract between Harford County and the City of Aberdeen was executed on June 27, 1995. That contract provided 500,000 gallons of water per day to the city from the county. The Fifth Amendment to the original contract boosts the water allocation by 100,000 gallons of water per day, to a total of 600,000. The additional allocation of water will be used for BRAC –related commercial and industrial development in the region.
The agreement requires the City of Aberdeen to design and construct a new booster station so that it can increase its withdrawal of water from the county system to the city’s water system. The proposed booster station is planned for the area of Edmund Street and MD Rt. 40.
Commenting on signing the Fifth Amendment to the water agreement with the county, Aberdeen Mayor Michael Bennett stated, “This new spirit of cooperation between the county and the City of Aberdeen will pay tremendous dividends for Aberdeen’s future, as the high tech employment center for Northeast Maryland.”
Regarding the terms of the agreement, payment of water by the City of Aberdeen is subject to $374,400 per each 20,000 gallons of water per day used by the city above the original contract amount. Should the entire 100,000 gallons per day be purchased, the cost to the city would be $1,872,200.
Harford County Government and the City of Aberdeen are looking forward to an additional amendment for water allocation above the Fifth Amendment or 100,000 gallons per day. The proposed amendment will coincide with the construction of the expansion to the Abingdon Water Treatment Plant which began in December of 2008 and is scheduled for completion in October 2011.
“The signing of the Fifth Amendment to the Water Agreement with the City of Aberdeen is another indicator of our commitment to assist business and industry develop in Harford County,” County Executive Craig stated. “The agreement reflects the short-term, mid-term and potential long-term solutions to water for the City of Aberdeen,” Craig remarked.
