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May proved a productive month for the Bay Restoration Fund Onsite Sewage Disposal System (OSDS) Initiative. A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step… in this case the Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) first step was a successfully completed installation of a nitrogen removal system for a septic system in a Critical Area in St. Mary’s County.
The Critical Area is defined within 1,000 feet of tidal waters and tidal wetlands and all waters of and lands under the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The Critical Area law requires specific environmental controls to prevent pollutant loading into the Bay.
Laying the Groundwork for Restoring the Bay
On May 9, 2007, the first onsite septic system nitrogen removal upgrade was installed with funding provided under the Bay Restoration Fund. MDE worked closely with the property owners to organize the necessary paperwork prior to the installation. The local health department oversaw the permitting while the manufacturer provided installation assistance with the unit. With proper maintenance, the homeowner should anticipate the next five years of worry-free operation of the unit, while knowing they are doing all they can to reduce excess nitrogen discharge from their septic system. This is the homeowner’s contribution to protecting the Chesapeake Bay – Maryland’s greatest environmental and economic treasure.
Bay Restoration Funding
The Bay Restoration Fund program is collected through a $30 annual fee from each OSDS user with an estimated annual income of $12.6 million. There are approximately 420,000 OSDS in Maryland. Sixty percent of these funds will be used for OSDS upgrades and the remaining 40 percent will be used for cover crops. The objective of the upgrades and planting of cover crops is to reduce nitrogen levels in the state’s groundwater, which discharges to the Chesapeake Bay and contributes to water quality problems in the Bay and its tributaries. Priority is given to systems in the Critical Area for funding to install nitrogen removal OSDS upgrades.
The Medium with a Large Message
MDE has updated the award winning DVD: Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems: Protecting Your System, Preserving the Bay. The soon-available DVD includes new footage and information on how to apply for a Bay Restoration Fund grant to upgrade your OSDS. Topics in the video include the basics of managing and maintaining an OSDS as well as an overview of how the nitrogen reduction process works. It paints a clean picture as to how and why the Bay Restoration Fund program will be instrumental in restoring the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay for future generations.
To date, approximately 120 Maryland OSDS homeowners have applied to participate in this voluntary program. Don’t be left out! If you have a septic system and you would like grant funding to help pay for upgrading to the highest nutrient removal levels, contact MDE. Funding is only available for the portion of the system upgrade that is designed to reduce the nitrogen discharge. Click here for more information onl the Bay Restoration Fund.
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