Bel Air residents press Allegany County commissioners over soaring water bills as Maryland Water Service sale advances

Residents from Bel Air, Pinto, Glen Oaks and Highland Estates told the Allegany County Board of Commissioners at a public meeting that sharply higher water and sewer bills are forcing some households to curtail basic hygiene and, in extreme cases, consider leaving their homes.

The residents delivered a petition with about 1,200 signatures and asked county officials to convene a multi-agency meeting — involving county, state and federal elected officials and staff — to press the Public Service Commission and the new buyer, American Water, to produce immediate relief. "We are trapped in a form of economic captivity that's imposed by this private for-profit water company," said Dr. Larry Smith, a Bel Air resident who spoke on behalf of a group of petitioners.

The issue centers on the private operator Maryland Water Service, which residents said has repeatedly received rate increases from the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) and is in the process of being sold. Grant Van Weingarten, a Bel Air resident who reviewed American Water’s investor materials, said the buyer disclosed a June purchase package valuing acquired systems at about $315,000,000 for roughly 47,000 customers; he cited that slide from American Water’s public presentation to illustrate the scale of the transaction and to warn residents it could presage further rate pressure.

Why it matters: Many residents described monthly bills in the several-hundred-dollar range and said the cost burden is acute for seniors, veterans and households on fixed incomes. Speakers said bills of several hundred dollars per month make it hard to afford medicine or other essential costs. A number of commenters described workarounds driven by cost — delaying toilet flushes, reusing bath water and washing clothes infrequently.

What commissioners and staff said they will do: Jason Bennett, the county administrator, said county officials are pursuing immediate information from the companies and regulators. Bennett said the county met with Maryland Water Service in May and had arranged a meeting with the acquiring company in the coming week. "If we don't find out much and don't get much in the way of answers, we're going to continue to push," Bennett said. He also said the county will work with the state delegation and with the PSC if needed, and will post updates on the county website as the inquiry progresses.

Legal and policy constraints: Multiple speakers and county staff noted legal limits on the county's direct authority. Commissioners and the county attorney explained that the PSC approves water rates and that the county cannot unilaterally take over a privately owned system without a purchase (voluntary transfer) or a formal eminent-domain process, which requires a court proceeding and payment of just compensation. The county said it will explore funding options if purchase becomes viable, but acknowledged that standard financing rolled into utility bills over 30 years could still raise user rates unless substantial grant money is obtained.

Residents urged faster, more forceful action. Dr. Smith told the commissioners, "Delay is not neutrality. Delay is complicity," and asked them to schedule the requested multi-party meeting immediately with state and federal delegates and representatives of the PSC. Bennett said the county will attempt to secure the meeting; he cautioned that the county cannot compel private parties to attend but said the county will convene its requested meeting with state and federal representatives regardless of whether the company participates.

Other details cited by speakers: Residents and commenters alleged operational and billing problems with Maryland Water Service, including maintenance and billing practices they described as costing customers more than the county's public system. Several speakers described visible water-quality problems in homes and higher-than-typical replacement costs for filters and fixtures. One commenter referenced past PSC filings and local rate cases and urged the county to press the PSC for records and watch the acquisition filing that the buyer must make to obtain regulatory approval.

Next steps and follow-up: Commissioners committed to continue the outreach, post updates to the county’s web channels and seek a meeting with state and federal officials within weeks. County staff also said they will monitor the PSC filing that would accompany any sale, and that that regulatory process would be an opportunity to demand transactional and rate-related information if the utility does not voluntarily provide it.

Ending: Residents at the meeting asked that the county treat the issue as urgent and said they will return for updates; commissioners said they would do weekly public updates as information becomes available and would pursue state and federal partners to convene the multi-party meeting requested by the petitioners.