The Department of Public Works (DPW) delivers high-quality engineering and operational services that provide, utilities and infrastructure to protect health and property and contribute to the high quality of life enjoyed by Rockville communities. DPW provides effective and efficient design, acquisition, construction, operation, maintenance, inspection and renewal of the city’s infrastructure to provide sustainable transportation, water, sewage disposal, stormwater management, recycling and refuse collection, and environmental management and fleet services.
In FY16, the department:
- Successfully plowed, salted and dug out the city from 29.5 inches of record snowfall from the “Snowzilla” blizzard of Jan. 22-23, by working around the clock for eight days.
- Constructed several major projects, including the Horizon Hill Stormwater Management Ponds, Water Treatment Plant upgrades, and the Avery Road and Maryland Avenue pedestrian safety sidewalk projects.
- Completed design, awarded a $2.9 million construction contract and began construction of the East Rockville sewer capacity improvement project.
- Designed two major pedestrian safety projects funded by a federal grant: Pedestrian safety enhancements in Twinbrook and the South Stonestreet Avenue road diet project, which includes installing a bicycle lane and a sidewalk and narrowing the roadway from four lanes to three.
- Completed 95 percent design of the Rockville Intermodal Access – Baltimore Road project.
- Awarded an $11.5 million, five-year construction contract for water main rehabilitation and improvements.
- Updated the city’s Water Quality Protection Ordinance; adopted in October.
- Converted to a new ferric chloride treatment chemical and installed a new gravity thickener for solids handling at the city’s Water Treatment Plant.
- Conducted a comprehensive assessment of the condition and health of the Watts Branch watershed.
- Completed an environmental scan, detailing Rockville’s sustainability and environmental accomplishments.
- Finalized a contract to install solar power panels over the parking lot at the Gude Drive Maintenance Facility.
- Recruited 207 residential homeowners to install solar roof panels through the Rockville Solar Co-op.
- Celebrated National Public Works Week with the annual DPW Equipment Show.
- Obtained a fulltime intern for one year through the Chesapeake Conservation Corps, which matches new environmental professionals with organizations working to protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Accolades and Grants
- Received the Director’s Award from the Partnership for Safe Water, the second consecutive year the city’s water treatment plant has earned the recognition.
- Ranked No. 26 on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership list of the largest green power users among local governments.
- Became one of only four jurisdictions to be recertified by the University of Maryland’s Environmental Finance Center with a Sustainable Maryland award, recognizing the city’s continued leadership in sustainability.
- Named the No. 18 bike community city in the East by the League of American Bicyclists.
- Reaffirmed as a “Bicycle Friendly Community” at the bronze level by the League of American Bicyclists.
- Received a Peerless Rockville award recognizing the Glenora Stream Restoration project for outstanding achievement in environmental restoration contributing to and improving Rockville’s heritage and identity.
- Received grants from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources of $750,000 for the King Farm Watkins Pond project and $700,000 for the Watts Branch – Upper Stream Restoration project.
- Secured $99,700 Transportation Alternatives Program grant for Falls Road shared-use path.