County Launches Our wAAter Program for Homeowners with Septic Systems

Anne Arundel County invites residents who live in neighborhoods near Chesapeake Bay to learn more about connecting to the county’s public sewer system by applying for the new Our wAAter program. This program, led by the Public Works Department, will help reduce the cost of moving private septic tanks to the county sewer system.

“By moving from private septic tanks to the county’s sewer system, our residents can achieve improved water quality while better controlling the pollutants affecting the bay,” said Steuart Pittman, chief executive of the county. “Residents with private sewer systems should take this innovative opportunity to reduce the cost of connecting to the county system. This will help you improve your water and help the county protect our environment. “

Our water is the Anne Arundel Clean Water Program, which was set up to provide long-term benefits in protecting local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay while maintaining groundwater supplies and improving water resistance. The program strategy includes five initiatives: wastewater treatment improvements, septic tank-sewer connections, groundwater stability, rainwater improvements and small system upgrades.

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“In dense sub-areas near the water, even well-maintained sewage treatment plants can release harmful pollutants into the bay,” said Chris Phipps, DPW director. “The septic tank-sewer connection program will improve water quality and public health by converting up to 6,000 private sewage treatment plants to public sewer connections over the next 30 years, which equates to around 200 per year.”

How do septic tanks affect public health and water quality?

  • More than 40,000 properties in Anne Arundel County use on-site sewer systems to treat residential sewage, which, under certain conditions, can seriously pollute the water.

  • In dense sub-areas near the water, even properly functioning sewage treatment plants can release up to eight times more pollutants into the bay than the district’s water treatment plants.

  • If the systems are not working properly or are too close to private drinking water wells, contaminants from wastewater can even get into drinking water.

Residents can determine eligibility for the Our wAAter program by visiting the Septic-to-Sewer Connection page at www.ourwaater.com and entering their address in the search bar.

Help protect the community and maintain and restore the water quality of Chesapeake Bay. To find out more about suitable neighborhoods, please visit www.ourwaater.com and email the team at [email protected] or call (410) 222-7500 for more information.

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