Baltimore’s Approach to Bacteria Monitoring & Investigations

Join Kim Grove, P.E., Chief of the Office of Compliance and Laboratories at Baltimore City Department of Public Works to explore the challenges and strategies involved in managing bacteria in urban watersheds, with a focus on Baltimore City’s approach to monitoring and source tracking. Drawing on more than 20 years of civil and environmental engineering experience, Grove describes Baltimore’s regulatory context, aging infrastructure, TMDL requirements, and the City’s comprehensive Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) program. The webinar highlights how routine monitoring, field screening, GIS-based tracking, dye testing, and microbial source tracking are used to identify hidden bacteria sources, prioritize fixes, and improve public and environmental health outcomes.