ABB wins contract over US$10 million to improve reliability and sustain quality of Baltimore public water, and will be implementing technology enhancements at Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant.

ABB has secured a contract, valued at more than US$10 million, from the City of Baltimore, Maryland, to upgrade the automation, electrical and power management of its Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant to improve reliability and sustain water quality for the city’s residents.
The three-year project will upgrade the plant by implementing the latest technology. ABB’s technologies, including ABB Ability 800xA control system, switchgear, and an energy management system, will support the operations of the facility to optimise the efficiency and output and reduce costs. In addition, ABB’s monitoring system will provide preventative maintenance and escalate the pace of corrective maintenance, enabling the operator to identify and correct issues before they lead to power loss or costly damage to loads. ABB’s system will also act as the foundation for any future predictive maintenance projects at the City of Baltimore treatment plants.
Brandon Spencer, president of ABB Energy Industries, said: “ABB’s technology and experience in modernising treatment facilities all over the world will be applied to the Patapsco Plant to ensure a sustained, positive impact on the Baltimore community. The City of Baltimore’s commitment to providing safe, reliable water while at the same time meeting stringent environmental protection standards, is an initiative we are proud to support.”
The Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant treats 63 million gallons of wastewater per day, serving an estimated population of just under half a million. The plant will improve the reliability of its aging power equipment to prevent downtime issues and drive energy efficiency. The reliability of the infrastructure to remove pollutants from the water is critical in protecting the Patapsco River and the Chesapeake Bay.
The City of Baltimore has utilised ABB’s control system across its two main wastewater treatment plants, Patapsco and Black River, for more than three decades. A key part of ABB’s project management responsibility is to ensure that, during the upgrade, the plant keeps running without operational interruptions.