Van Hollen, Alsobrooks Announce Nearly $30 Million for Maryland Water Infrastructure, Investments in Environmental, Bay Restoration

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Interior Environment, and Related Agencies, and Senator Angela Alsobrooks (both D-Md) announced $29,636,000 in direct federal funding for 28 community-led projects throughout Maryland within the fiscal year 2026 Interior and Environment appropriations bill - which was enacted into law as part of a 3-bill government funding package passed by Congress and signed into law in January. These projects - submitted and secured by the Senators - will improve the safety and reliability of drinking water infrastructure, modernize stormwater management systems, and preserve historic sites in communities across Maryland. Additionally, despite the Trump Administration's proposed deep cuts to many initiatives supporting Chesapeake Bay restoration, within this bill the Senators defended, and in some cases increased funding for several critical programs - including the Chesapeake Bay Program, the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways Network, and the Chesapeake WILD program, which was created by bipartisan legislation authored by Senator Van Hollen.

"Federal dollars can make a big impact when we invest them directly in projects that support our communities' needs. That's why we fought to deliver these federal funds to local priorities - from improving access to clean water to preserving important historical sites that support our economy. Within this bill we also delivered funding to continue our efforts to restore Maryland's greatest natural treasure - the Chesapeake Bay - rejecting the Trump Administration's attempt to slash the resources that support this vital work. We worked hard to secure the investments in this legislation to ensure it reflects the priorities of Marylanders and our communities," said Senator Van Hollen.

"The Chesapeake Bay is the heart of Maryland, and Senator Van Hollen and I are committed to protecting it. The conservation and sustainable use of the Bay benefits not just Maryland, but the entire nation, given its economic, ecological, and historical significance. The Bay feeds commerce, supports ecosystems, and sustains communities across the mid-Atlantic. We will keep fighting to invest in our state, economy, and environment," said Senator Alsobrooks.

Highlights for Maryland in the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

Congressionally Directed Spending

Project Name: Aberdeen's Swan Meadows Water Infrastructure Project
Applicant: Army Corps of Engineers
Project Description: Funds will be used to replace aging sewer and water lines in Aberdeen, improving water infrastructure for 300 residential units.
Project Location: Harford County
Amount Included: $2,000,000

Project Name: Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority for Sediment Testing and Remediation
Applicant: Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority
Project Description: Funds will be used to test and remove contaminants from sediment around the Industrial Dam on the Potomac River in Cumberland, MD, and to develop methods to more efficiently remove sediment to improve water quality.
Project Location: Allegany County
Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Chesapeake Bay Trust for Translating Science from the Pooled Monitoring Research Program
Applicant: Chesapeake Bay Trust
Project Description: Funds will be used to synthesize 10 years' worth of scientific data to inform effective practices to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.
Project Location: Anne Arundel County
Amount Included: $178,000

Project Name: City of Bowie for Cast Iron Pipe Lining
Applicant: City of Bowie
Project Description: Funds will support the upgrade of a water main supplying Bowie residents with water improving drinking water quality and enhancing public safety by ensuring that fire hydrants in the city maintain adequate water pressure.
Project Location: Prince George's County
Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: City of Hagerstown for Storm Drain Network Upgrades
Applicant: City of Hagerstown
Project Description: Funds will be used to restore and repair parts of Hagerstown's century-old stormwater system in order to address new stresses on the system from the increasing frequency and severity of storm and flooding events.
Project Location: Washington County
Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: City of Rockville for Lead Service Line Inventory Investigation
Applicant: City of Rockville
Project Description: Funds will be used to identify and prioritize lead service lines for replacement in order to improve public health by eliminating lead exposure risks associated with the unknown pipe materials.
Project Location: Montgomery County
Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: City of Rockville for Orangeburg Lateral Replacement
Applicant: City of Rockville
Project Description: Funds will be used to replace failing pipes to prevent sewage backups, overflows, and ground contamination in order to safeguard public health and the environment.
Project Location: Montgomery County
Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: City of Rockville for Wastewater Collection System Rehabilitation
Applicant: City of Rockville
Project Description: Funds will be used to replace failing pipes that currently pose risks to public health, including sewer backups, overflows, and environmental contamination.
Project Location: Montgomery County
Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: City of Westminster for Water Purification System
Applicant: City of Westminster
Project Description: Funds will be used to support the first indirect water reuse facility in Maryland, providing the City of Westminster a permanent drought-resistant new water source.
Project Location: Carroll County
Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: County Commissioners of Worcester County for Newark Water Treatment Plant Replacement
Applicant: County Commissioners of Worcester County, MD
Project Description: Funds will be used to replace the Newark Water Treatment Plant, which is over 50 years old and has exceeded its useful life. The replacement water treatment plant will provide enhanced water treatment capabilities for the community and a reliable source of clean water.
Project Location: Worcester County
Amount Included: $2,550,000

Project Name: Easton Utilities for Windmill Pump Station Enhancement
Applicant: Easton Utilities Commission
Project Description: Funds will be used to address stormwater overflows that result in sewage spills that impact local communities and pollute the Chesapeake Bay. The project will significantly reduce public health threats and environmental pollution by moving the existing sanitary sewer system out of the flood plain.
Project Location: Talbot County
Amount Included: $2,868,000

Project Name: Garrett County Sanitary District for Gorman Water Source Project
Applicant: Garrett County Sanitary District, Inc.
Project Description: Funds will be used to provide water source redundancy by drilling a new production well to replace the previous production well that collapsed.
Project Location: Garrett County
Amount Included: $1,659,000

Project Name: Garrett Park Town Hall for Historic Preservation, Save America's Treasures
Applicant: Town of Garrett Park
Project Description: Funds will be used to restore and renovate Garrett Park Town Hall, including repairing the historic facades, removing an aging addition, rebuilding the rear addition, upgrading building systems, and meeting accessibility standards.
Project Location: Montgomery County
Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Middletown Wastewater Treatment Enhanced Nutrient Removal Upgrade
Applicant: Town of Middletown
Project Description: Funds will be used to upgrade treatment facilities to support enhanced nutrient removal.
Project Location: Frederick County
Amount Included: $470,000

Project Name: Mount Clare Museum for Historic Preservation
Applicant: National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of MD
Project Description: Funds will be used for exterior restoration and repair work at the Mount Clare Museum site, an 18th-century industrial plantation in Baltimore. The Museum tells the story of the site, which was home to the Carroll family and more than 200 enslaved servants, laborers, and artisans who built it.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $100,000

Project Name: Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, Inc. for Revitalization and Restoration of the North and South Park Squares
Applicant: Mount Vernon Place Conservancy
Project Description: Funds will be used to support revitalization efforts at Mount Vernon Place which includes the first monument to George Washington and four parks that surround it. The revitalization will improve the parks for residents and visitors.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Preservation Maryland for Restoration of Fort Frederick
Applicant: Preservation Maryland
Project Description: Funds will be used to support the restoration of the 18th century-era Fort Frederick, a national historic landmark that was used in the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War.
Project Location: Washington County
Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse for Restoration, Save America's Treasures
Applicant: United States Lighthouse Society, Inc.
Project Description: Funds will be used to support an assessment of necessary restoration efforts to protect and maintain the historic Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse.
Project Location: Anne Arundel County
Amount Included: $75,000

Project Name: Town of Hurlock for Waste Water Treatment Plant
Applicant: Town of Hurlock
Project Description: Funds will be used to replace critical equipment at the town's wastewater treatment plant nearing the end of its useful lifespan.
Project Location: Dorchester County
Amount Included: $2,795,000

Project Name: Town of Indian Head for Anchor Point Booster Station
Applicant: Town of Indian Head
Project Description: Funds will be used to support the design, permitting and construction of a new water pumping station and wellhouse to replace a failing well.
Project Location: Charles County
Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: Town of Indian Head for Mattawoman Woods and Dogwood Lifts
Applicant: Town of Indian Head
Project Description: Funds will be used to support the design, permitting, and construction of two new sewage lift stations to replace the aging lift stations at Mattawoman Woods and Dogwood locations.
Project Location: Charles County
Amount Included: $800,000

Project Name: Town of New Windsor for Water and Sewer System Improvements
Applicant: Town of New Windsor
Project Description: Funds will be used to upgrade an aging water and sewer system, including well exploration and testing, and addressing lead and copper issues. This project will increase the quality and quantity of water for residents? and decrease sewer treatment expenses.
Project Location: Carroll County
Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Town of North East for Rolling Mill Water Pump Station
Applicant: Town of North East
Project Description: Funds will be used to replace and relocate the aging, deficient Rolling Mill Finished Water Pump Station from the 100-year floodplain in order to improve pump redundancy and protect drinking water.
Project Location: Cecil County
Amount Included: $1,950,000

Project Name: Town of Oakland for Water System Improvements
Applicant: Town of Oakland
Project Description: Funds will be used to replace Oakland's antiquated water system infrastructure. The proposed project is necessary to correct critical distribution failures, including low pressure and volume issues, and ensure compliance with the International Fire Code.
Project Location: Garrett County
Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: Town of Smithsburg for Water System Improvements
Applicant: Town of Smithsburg
Project Description: Funds will be used for the replacement of an aging cast iron sewer force main, construction of package sewer pump stations, and demolition of existing dilapidated pump stations. This will correct inflow and filtration, rehabilitate the sewer, and prevent sewer overflows to the stream.
Project Location: Washington County
Amount Included: $306,000

Project Name: Town of Trappe for Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades
Applicant: Town of Trappe
Project Description: Funds will be used to upgrade the existing and aging Waste Water Treatment Plant infrastructure with new equipment to improve the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay.
Project Location: Talbot County
Amount Included: $1,149,000

Project Name: WSSC for Sewer Rehabilitation in Montgomery County
Applicant: Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC Water)
Project Description: Funds will be used for sewer rehabilitation work in Montgomery County. This includes replacing aging sewer infrastructure at risk of failure, thereby mitigating potential sewage overflows and protecting public and environmental health in the surrounding communities.
Project Location: Montgomery County
Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: WSSC for Sewer Rehabilitation in Prince George's County
Applicant: Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC Water)
Project Description: Funds will be used for sewer rehabilitation work in Prince George's County. This includes replacing aging sewer infrastructure at risk of failure, thereby mitigating potential sewage overflows and protecting public and environmental health in the surrounding communities.
Project Location: Prince George's County
Amount Included: $1,092,000

Additional priorities secured by the Senators in the FY26 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bill include:

• Chesapeake Bay Programs: The bill supports the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay, providing:

• The bill provides $8.8 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) critical responsibilities protecting our environment and people's health - $1.8 billion above the level in House Republicans' bill and $4.7 billion above the level requested by President Trump. This includes:

• $11.2 million for National Scenic and Historical Trails. Maryland is home to the Captain John Smith Chesapeake, the Star-Spangled Banner, and the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trails.
• $95.4 million for Urban Indian Health programs. This funding supports healthcare programs for tribal members and descendants. Maryland is home to American Indian and Alaska Native communities and three State-recognized Tribes: the Piscataway Indian Nation, Piscataway Conoy Tribe, and Accohannock Tribe. Due to a history of government policies that forced Native American relocation and assimilation, many Tribal members now live off reservations in urban settings. Ensuring access to comprehensive, culturally relevant health care is critical for our American Indian and Alaska Native communities - in Baltimore and beyond - especially important given that American Indian and Alaska Native people continue to face significant disparities in health outcomes and coverage.
• $14.97 billion for the Department of the Interior to protect and manage our national parks, national wildlife refuges, and other federal lands, conserve and protect wildlife, and more. This includes $1.65 billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, $1.42 billion for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) - which provides critical scientific data that informs Chesapeake Bay restoration activities - and $3.27 billion for the National Park Service. Within NPS' overall funding:

• Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill provides $900 million for federal land acquisition and financial assistance to states provided through the LWCF under the Great American Outdoors Act. This program is critical for improving recreational access to our federal lands, protecting iconic landscapes, delivering grants to states and local governments to create and protect urban parks and open spaces, and providing farmers and ranchers with easements to allow them to continue to steward their private lands in the face of development pressures. This includes:

• National Wildlife Refuge System. The bill provides $522 million for the National Wildlife Refuge System. It also includes report language supporting the work of Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex to develop and implement march restoration and protection plans and additional report language directing DOI to prioritize hiring and retention at Chesapeake Marshlands Complex National Wildlife Refuge.

$310 million for the Forest Service's State, Private, and Tribal Forestry work, which supports sustainable forestry practices on public and private lands in Maryland, including $37 million for the Urban and Community Forestry program.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): $207 million

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA): $207 million