Smith Island Site Visit:

Ewell Wastewater Treatment Plant

& Somerset County Roads Improvements

This site visit to Smith Island is a follow-up to the first meeting that took place in the Fall 2025.  This tour is being conducted to provide participants with an opportunity to learn about the history of Smith Island, visit the recently constructed wastewater treatment plant on Ewell, discuss the recent County project to improve the roadways on the Island, and enjoy an authentic Chesapeake Bay Smith Island lunch. 

“Smith Island”

Presented By: Eddie Somers

Smith Island is the only inhabited offshore island in Maryland.  Its history and location offer challenges for infrastructure construction. Mr. Somers will be sharing from his experiences of Smith Island, some personal stories about what it was like growing up there, and how life has changed over the years. He will touch on the culture, traditions and resilience of the community.

Eddie Somers is a Smith Island native with family roots on the island…. He worked as a waterman and captained the J. Millard Tawes, a 100-foot US WWII era Coast Guard/MD-DNR vessel. Through storytelling and hands on experiences, he brings to life the heritage of this unique Chesapeake Bay community.

“The Smith Island Clean Water Project” 

Presented by Peter Bozick, Jr., P.E. and John Hibschman, PE

Peter Bozick has 50 years of experience at GMB providing engineering planning, design, and operations support for wastewater treatment facilities on Delmarva. 

Since 2012, GMB been engaged by the Somerset County Sanitary District (SCSD) to protect the pumping stations and treatment plants from flooding, resolve the non-compliance issues for the constructed wetlands serving Tylerton and upgrade the Ewell treatment plant to achieve enhanced nutrient removals.  

His education includes a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering and a master’s degree in sanitary engineering.   He is married with eight (8) children and twelve (12) grandchildren. Peter was recently appointed by the Governor to serve on the Bay Restoration Fund (BRF) Advisory Committee.

John Hibschman, P.E. is a Project Engineer for George, Miles, and Buhr. He is a graduate of Wilkes University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering. His project experience includes wastewater treatment plant upgrades, pump station rehabilitation, and sewer and water main infrastructure improvements. Among his recent work is the Smith Island Clean Water Project WWTP Upgrade, which includes the design and construction administration of a new enhanced nutrient removal (ENR) wastewater treatment plant in Ewell, Maryland. Hibschman has also contributed to several significant municipal wastewater infrastructure projects, including the Rock Hall, Maryland WWTP ENR Upgrade, the Seaford, Delaware WWTF Partial Upgrade and Expansion, and the Trenton Street Sewage Pumping Station Rehabilitation.