La Plata officials warn town could exceed water permit by 2026; urge county agreement and sewer upgrades

La Plata — Town Manager Chuck Stevens told the La Plata Town Council on Sept. 9 that the town is using about 90% of its state groundwater allocation and that summer demand could push La Plata above its permitted limit as early as 2026, a condition that would block some approvals and require the town to secure supplemental water.

Stevens said the supply constraint, not treatment or pipe capacity, is the primary bottleneck. “We have an infrastructure and a water system that's well built. But the real bottleneck is not gonna be the pipes or the treatment,” he said during a roughly 90‑minute technical presentation. He added the town is “already operating at about 90% of our allocation” and quoted the permit cover letter: “the town cannot exceed its allocation and must identify additional sources of water to supplement its groundwater appropriation.”

Why it matters: La Plata has a long pipeline of proposed and approved development and a legal duty to ensure adequate water before issuing building permits or final plat recordations. Stevens and staff said the town’s permitted groundwater appropriation totals 1.234 million gallons per day (mgd) on average, with a monthly peak allowance of 1.716 mgd. Town metered use averaged about 1.11 mgd in 2025; Baker Tilly projections included in the briefing show seasonal peaks breaking through the permit ceiling by 2026–2028 if no supplemental supply is secured.

What staff presented and recommended - Source and limit: Stevens explained La Plata draws from the Lower Patapsco aquifer under two permits that total 1.234 mgd average and 1.716 mgd for the month of highest use. He said the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has told the town it will not increase that allocation absent a viable supplemental source and engineering justification. - Supplemental options: Town staff described a countywide planning…