Worcester County approves Lewis Road sewer expansion, awards construction contract

Worcester County Commissioners on July 1, 2025 voted to move forward with the Lewis Road sewer expansion and later awarded the construction contract to the low bidder, Teal Construction.

County staff described the project during a public hearing held under sections 5305(b) and 5307(b) of the Public Works Article and said the total revised cost is $4,498,000 and the extension would serve about 60 equivalent dwelling units (EDUs). Staff told the board the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has amended its 2025 award to include an additional $2,473,000, of which $1,855,000 was presented as grant funding and $618,000 as a loan. That $618,000 loan would be repaid by Lewis Road customers over 40 years at 2.5 percent interest; county staff presented an estimated payment of about $105 per EDU per quarter over 40 years.

Why it matters: the Lewis Road area has pursued public water and sewer for decades; residents told the commissioners that public sewer is urgently needed for health and affordability reasons and that many households have waited years for municipal services.

Public comment and community context

Several residents spoke in support of the project. Gabriel Purnell, who said he lives at 9609 Merry Road in Berlin, described long-standing community organizing and told the commissioners, “45 years later, finally, hopefully, sewer will be available to those residents.” Larry Duffy, who lives off Lewis Road at 11829 Whitetail Lane, said the community previously had contaminated water and described health concerns he and neighbors experienced; Duffy said septic…