From Harford County government:
The Harford County Department of Public Works’ Water & Sewer Division will temporarily switch water sources at the Abingdon Water Treatment Plant (AWTP) from the usual supply originating at Loch Raven Reservoir to the Susquehanna River.
The switch had originally been scheduled to occur on November 18, 2013, however the City of Baltimore has delayed the start-up and testing of the new pumps. The switch is now scheduled to occur on or around December 2.
Once the switch occurs, some customers may notice a slight difference in the taste. This is due to natural differences in water from one source to another. Customers will not experience any disruption of service and the water will continue to meet federal and state drinking water standards.
The reason for the switch is that Baltimore City is testing new pumps, drives, and controls at their Deer Creek Pumping station, installed as part of an upgrade to the station. The test will last approximately one week, after which the water source will gradually transition back to Loch Raven over the following two weeks.
Typically the AWTP supplies approximately 70 percent of the total county water supply with the rest coming from the Perryman well field and the Susquehanna River at Havre de Grace. This is the fifth time DPW has treated Susquehanna River water at the AWTP. The first time was when the plant opened in 1994. Susquehanna River water was used at AWTP in 1999, 2002, and 2007 because of drought conditions.
Citizens with any questions may contact Joel Caudill, Deputy Director of Public Works, at 410-638-3159.
My sympathy is with the guys and gals working at the Abingdon plant. They are the ones who are stuck treating the sludge that comes up from the Susquehanna. The last time they used this garbage, in 2007, they estimated that it cost approximately three times as much to treat this as id did to treat water coming north.