Director Jason Mitchell, Baltimore City Department of Public Works, answers questions about E. coli contamication found in the water in parts of Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)

The most recent bad news coming out of Baltimore’s Department of Public Works has, rightfully, caused renewed anger at the beleaguered agency (“E.coli contamination: Baltimore fully lifts boil water advisory,” Sept. 9). Just this summer, DPW was in the news for significant failures at a wastewater treatment plant. This week, it was E. coli in the water supply, affecting much Southwest Baltimore and Baltimore County, which also gets its water from the city. The communication from the agency also has been less than productive.

It’s tempting to focus on the negative, and by the tenor of the calls for change, some are even taking a punitive tone toward Baltimore City. This is unproductive, and ignores the very real efficiencies that could be gained if the agency was not just fixed, but rebuilt as a regional system that mirrors the area that it serves.

We need to be thinking about a system that best serves all of DPW’s customers in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. As it stands now, DPW is a city entity that has customers and facilities outside of the city. If you live in Baltimore County, your water bill looks the same as the one sent to your neighbors just across the imaginary line, even though it’s calculated completely differently. City residents pay a monthly bill, whereas Baltimore County residents pay a quarterly bill. However, Baltimore County residents also pay for DPW through their property taxes in a complex reimbursement scheme that involves the Baltimore County government reimbursing Baltimore City based on a decades-old arrangement.

This inefficient system involves the city sending the county a bill, which, as one would have it, has been disputed in recent years. Not just is there a complex reimbursement program, the city agency maintains its largest facilities in Baltimore County. From reservoir to wastewater treatment, DPW’s water and sewer departments have a larger footprint outside of the city than inside. Despite the location of both the facilities and the customer base of nearly 2 million people across the region, DPW drinking is run by a single director appointed by the mayor.

There is a better solution. Spin off DPW’s water and sewer operations to form a new, regional water and sewer authority. The model already exists right here in Maryland in the Washington Suburban Sanitation Commission. The Baltimore region can copy this model and tailor it to fit its needs. It can build a system from scratch, with ethics and equity, oversight and governance built right into the system, from the beginning. Oversight would be accomplished by a Board of Citizens, either appointed or elected from across the DPW service area.

Building a modern agency that reflects its customer base and geography will ensure efficiency and best practices. Yes, the problems are acute and require urgent fixes. At the same time, our elected officials across the region should be thinking about the best way to build a modern system that serves their constituents, continues to provide clean drinking water to the citizens, and protects the health of the bay.