Bel Air Breaks Ground On Mount Soma Reservoir

BEL AIR, MD - Maryland American Water broke ground Wednesday for a new structure in Bel Air that will provide an additional water supply for the town.

The reservoir off Belair Road will serve as a backup water supply for Bel Air, which relies on Winters Run, after the Maryland Department of the Environment and Harford County Health Department recommended taking measures to ensure water was available in the event of a drought.

"This impoundment secures a life-sustaining resource for 20,000 people in the town of Bel Air and parts of Harford County, and we are honored to serve here,” Maryland American Water President Barry Suits said.

The 11.5-acre site is on the Mt. Soma property on land that Maryland American Water purchased from Harford County.

"For the public’s benefit, we plan to work with the county to return portions of the land not used," Suits said. "We are working with the county’s department of parks and recreation to enhance other features of the property, including the Ma and Pa Trail connections."

While the enhanced area will be open to the public, only Maryland American Water employees will have access to the impoundment, which will be monitored 24 hours a day next to its water treatment plant.

Construction is expected to be complete in 2019 on the reservoir, which can store up to 90 million gallons of raw water, according to Maryland American Water. It will be filled when Winters Run stream flows are high.

Allan Myers of Fallston will build the reservoir, and Bowen Engineering of Lanham will engineer the intake from Winters Run. The cost of the project is $15 million, and recovery of the costs is not anticipated until the project nears completion.

The Maryland Public Service Commission will review the rate application and even with a potential increase, American Water estimates that the cost of water service would remain about a penny per gallon.

The new impoundment will be located at 1210 Belair Road.