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Municipalities across Maryland looking to grow often need one thing in particular: more water. In homes, businesses, and industries alike, safe and healthy drinking water is essential. Though seemingly abundant, water is a complex resource to acquire. Water must be allocated in a way that maximizes its beneficial uses and simultaneously protects the State’s valuable water supply resources from mismanagement, abuse, or overuse. This is where the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) enters the scene.
MDE manages a broad range of protection, financing, and regulatory activities that help ensure Maryland’s waters are safe for drinking, recreation, and wildlife. The use of surface and groundwaters is controlled through water appropriation permits. These permits help to ensure that Maryland’s water resources are conserved and protected while providing safe drinking water to the State. Permits are required for any activity that withdraws water from the State's surface and/or groundwater, with certain exceptions.
Water supplies in Maryland come from two main sources. The first, surface water, serves over 70 percent of the State’s population. These systems provide water to approximately four million Marylanders. They take water from large rivers, such as the Potomac, or smaller creeks, such as Winter’s Run. Other surface water systems treat water from impoundments such as reservoirs. All permitted surface water withdrawals are managed to assure adequate downstream flow for other users and environmental needs.
The second water source type is groundwater, which is more frequently used in rural areas. Often, groundwater will flow to the surface naturally and take the form of a spring or wetland. It also provides base flow for streams and rivers. For drinking, a well is typically used to withdraw groundwater. In the Coastal Plain, the ready availability of groundwater has negated the need for using surface water in southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore. Some suppliers draw groundwater from wells in unconfined aquifers while others use deep confined aquifers.
Maryland evaluates water use and the adequacy of water resources to meet the needs of specific users. Except as exempted under state law, anyone who wishes to appropriate water of any source type for agricultural, municipal, commercial, industrial, or other non-domestic uses must obtain a Water Appropriation Permit from MDE. The permit process is designed to evaluate the potential influence of a new user on existing users and minimize prospective conflict between them. For example, the program can require monitoring of water levels and replacement or impacted water supplies as permit conditions or deny the proposed use and advise the applicant to file an application from a different groundwater aquifer.
The permitting process is thorough and involves several steps. First, the potential user must complete an application that details the quantities needed, the proposed source of water, a map of the project, the purpose of the use, and the method of wastewater disposal. The application is then reviewed by local environmental health agencies for consistency with local land use zoning and with the county water and sewer plan. For proposed withdrawals greater than 10,000 gallons per day, a detailed set of instructions is mailed to the applicant. Appropriation requests for an annual average withdrawal of more than 10,000 gallons per day (as a new request or increase) are subject to providing public notice, including the potential for a public information hearing. Agricultural users receive technical assistance from MDE during the permitting process.
Click here for a comprehensive report on water supply source issues, policies and technical challenges study.
Click here for more information on the water permitting process.
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