Baltimore Harbor Posts Failing Water Quality Grades

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—The annual report card grading water quality in the city, including the Harbor is out and it doesn't look good.

George Solis has more.

Each spring the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore's Healthy Harbor Initiative releases a report card.

"This report presents a summary of water quality scores and major restoration activities that took place throughout the prior year, and it monitors water health in four major water bodies: The Jones and Gwynns Falls streams, the Baltimore Harbor, and the Tidal Patapsco River," official say.

According to the 2015 report, the Inner Harbor and tidal Patapsco River of Baltimore posted failing grades in water quality for the third straight year.

"Now is not the time to be discouraged by failing grades, now is time to triple our efforts to move forward,"  city official say.

The 2015 report also examined the Gwynns and Jones Falls stream which resulted in a "D" grade.

"No, 'F' is never acceptable, our goal is to achieve the 'A,'" said Rudy Chow, Baltimore Department of Public Works.

Back in 2020 a goal was set to turn the harbor into a swimmable and fishable area by 2020. Monday's report shows  there's still more work top be done.

RELATED: Officials Hope For A Healthy Harbor You Can Swim In By 2020

Part of the progress means education and clean up efforts like world famous Mr. Trash Wheel, who cleans tons of crash from the Harbor.

"The Headworks Project is really exciting because it's really going to fix and enormousness problem particularly on the Jones Falls," says Halle Van Der Gagg, with Blue Water Baltimore.

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