|
Almost one in five Marylanders dispose of their sewage in onsite sewage disposal systems (OSDS), sometimes referred to as septic systems. Excess loading of nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, from septic systems contribute to degraded water quality, negatively impacting the ecology of the Bay and its tributaries
Since it is Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) mission to protect human health and the environment, a portion of the Bay Restoration Fund is allocated to upgrade septic systems to reduce nitrogen discharges. Priority is given to failing system in the Critical Areas. A portion of the funds will also be used to implement cover crops on agricultural land.
With the implementation of the Bay Restoration Fund (BRF) underway, over $794,000 has been collected, since the end of August this year, for the septic system upgrade program. These funds came from users of septic systems who receive a water bill. For the period starting October 1, a $30 annual fee is collected from each home served by a septic system not billed for their water use. Forty percent of the funds will be used for cover crop activities while the remaining sixty percent will be used for upgrading septic systems to best available technology for reducing nitrogen.
“Cooperation between the Maryland Department of Planning, State Department of Assessment and Taxation, and local county governments has been outstanding,” said Kendl P. Philbrick, secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment. “They have been diligent in collecting funds, identifying users of septic systems, and developing a mechanism for billing.”
There are over 420,000 septic systems in Maryland, and almost all jurisdictions have a plan for billing. The entire plan is now underway to collect by each county, as follows:
- 8 counties sent the bill with July, 2005 tax bill
- 8 counties will send separate bill by November
- 2 counties will bill with second tax bill in December
- 3 counties will bill in July 20, 2006 with tax bill
- 3 jurisdictions are slated to determine how they will bill by July 20, 2006
MDE is developing an outreach initiative for OSDS users regarding the program and its available funds.
MDE and the approving authorities, typically county health departments, still face a variety of challenges and new opportunities for improvements to OSDS. Research is being done to determine which technologies are the most effective and reliable in reducing nitrogen discharge. This involves approving a protocol for selecting which technologies will fundable by a BRF grant. A technical workgroup, including state and local government and industry representatives are fast at work developing this protocol. A Request for Proposals to distribute BRF funds is anticipated to be released by January 1st.
“It’s a concern for the department that the systems installed under this program reduce nitrogen long-term – we have to be careful in choosing reliable technologies and develop adequate means of assuring extended operation and maintenance,” said Jay Prager, Deputy Program Manager, MDE’s Wastewater Permits division. “This is essential for effective performance.”
When fully implemented, $6.5 million will become available to upgrade over 600 systems annually. The Maryland Department of Agriculture will initiate cover crop activities to provide funding to farmers to plant small grain crops that are ideal for absorbing excess nutrients and resist erosion. The Bay Restoration Fund will pay farmers to plant an estimated 125,000 acres of farmland with cover crops each year.
Upgrading Septic Systems Improves Water Quality
"The Bay Restoration Fund provides an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate that upgrading septic systems can improve water quality," said Prager. "Implementation of the program requires a cooperative effort between multiple state and local government agencies – and they have come through."
Priority is given to failing septic systems in the Critical Area, which is the 1,000–foot buffer around the Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Bays shoreline. The cost difference between a traditional system and one that uses best available technology for nitrogen removal is eligible for funding.
By 2010, the $750 million revenue generated through the Bay Restoration Fund, for the Wastewater Treatment Plan, Septic System and Cover Crop Programs, will allow Maryland to achieve over one-third of the necessary nutrient reductions to meet the Chesapeake Bay 2000 Agreement. Maryland is a leader in protecting the Chesapeake Bay for its ecological, economic and cultural values for future generations.
|
