METCOM staff detail Marley Taylor capacity, seek EDU reallocations; commissioners approve FY2026 METCOM capital budget

METCOM staff on May 20 gave a detailed presentation on the Marley Taylor wastewater treatment plant's capacity and the discrepancy between reserved Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDUs) on paper and actual flow. Commissioners then approved the St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission FY2026 capital-improvement budget and the FY2027–2031 plan by voice vote.

What staff reported: METCOM staff said Marley Taylor has a permitted capacity of 6,000,000 gallons per day (gpd) but is currently flowing about 4,000,000 gpd. Longstanding contracts reserve capacity that is not currently flowing: staff said agreements reserve roughly 1,500,000 gpd for the Navy (about 4,800 EDUs) and about 300,000 gpd for St. Mary's College (about 700 EDUs reserved in prior transactions). In 2022 Maryland Department of the Environment review staff reported roughly 1,853 EDUs of available capacity; in 2025 staff calculated about 1,722 EDUs remaining when adjusting for allocations. By contrast, staff noted more than 7,300 EDUs have been allocated or reserved but are not currently connected and flowing, creating a disparity between "on-paper" and physical capacity.

Why this matters: the reserved-but-unused EDUs can prevent sewer service being allocated to residents and developers in areas where sewer would make properties buildable or address failing on-site systems. Staff warned that relying solely on physical flow without accounting for contractual reservations can produce shortages in areas the plant and county were intended to serve.

Steps staff described: METCOM said it has begun outreach to major reserving parties. In April staff asked St. Mary's College to discuss rescinding additional EDUs; the college replied it is open to discussion and requested follow-up in mid-May while citing new leadership and the need to involve the Town of St. Mary's City where relevant. For the Navy, METCOM reported a multi-year effort; staff said the Navy has indicated verbal willingness to transfer roughly 219–250 EDUs held for off-site base housing (Glen Forest housing) into the base reserve, which would free EDUs for county use. Staff proposed several additional steps: request a re-evaluation from the Maryland Department of the Environment, publish lists of allocated but unconnected EDUs for possible transfers, and consider multi-year EDU purchase agreements with large development projects (a model drawn from the Town of Leonardtown).

Financial and risk context: staff reiterated a contingency planning figure of roughly $40,000,000 for a catastrophic rebuild and noted that METCOM has been repaying debt related to an earlier enhancement (E&R) upgrade; the Navy currently contributes roughly $41,000 per month toward that debt through an agreement that runs to July 1, 2034. METCOM staff reported applying just over $4,000,000 of METCOM reserves to reduce debt service in the FY2026 plan. Capital priorities for FY2026 include Forest Run and Piney Point pump stations, Piney Point force-main replacement, Wicomico Shores work and advanced metering. Staff said 75% of METCOM's capital budget through 2031 will focus on rehabilitation and renewal, with 25% for expansion and upgrades.

Formal action: a commissioner moved to approve the St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission FY2026 capital improvement budget and FY2027–2031 capital improvement plan "in accordance with section 113-30 of the Code of St. Mary's County." A voice vote was taken; commissioners responded "aye," no opposition was recorded and the motion passed. The FY2026 METCOM plan includes modest rate and system-improvement-charge adjustments (system improvement combined rate to $33.39 per month and combined capital contribution reported at $19,936.74 in the presentation). Staff said the budget and the Marley Taylor capacity work position METCOM to pursue EDU rescissions or transfers and to program plant planning and design work (preliminary engineering report in 2027, design beginning around 2031 in the current CIB timing) to avoid reactive moratoria.

Direct quote: "We're in really good shape as we sit here today," said Mr. Erickson during the presentation when summarizing current flows versus paper allocations.

Ending: staff asked for public and institutional cooperation as METCOM pursues EDU reallocations with the college and the Navy and said pursuing those steps could free several hundred EDUs and extend the plant's practical allocation horizon without immediate capacity expansion.