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Sykesville planning commission approves draft water resource element for state review
Summary
The commission voted to send a county‑coordinated draft Water Resource Element (WRE) to the Maryland Department of the Environment for a required 60‑day review; staff said the draft shows sufficient water capacity for the Freedom service area but a projected full‑buildout wastewater shortfall of about 87,600 gallons per day.
The Sykesville Planning Commission voted unanimously July 7 to approve the town’s draft Water Resource Element for submission to the Maryland Department of the Environment for a required 60‑day review.
Planning staff explained the draft WRE evaluates water supply, wastewater capacity and public stormwater systems for the county’s service areas and is intended to inform future comprehensive planning. Staff said the Freedom service area’s water capacity is projected to be sufficient under full buildout, but wastewater projections show a potential deficit of approximately 87,600 gallons per day at full buildout of the district.
Kevin, the planning staff presenter, told commissioners the WRE contains a county methodology that models full buildout of the 2023 water and sewer service area using 2022 zoning. He said the draft contains general action items for coordination with the county and the Department of the Environment but no town‑specific capital projects because Sykesville does not operate its own water or sewer utility.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the reported figures. Kevin confirmed that the “plus 887,000” figure in the WRE summary shows available water capacity in the Freedom service area under the full‑buildout model and that the 87,600‑gallon shortfall refers to wastewater (sewer) capacity under the same full‑buildout assumptions. He cautioned that those are projections based on modeling and the county will coordinate any allocation or mitigation discussions with the state.
A motion to approve the draft WRE to be sent to the Maryland Department of the Environment for the 60‑day review was made and seconded; the motion carried with unanimous vocal approval.
