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Carroll County P&Z votes to send Water Resources Element to 60‑day state review
Summary
The Planning & Zoning Commission voted Oct. 21 to send the draft Water Resources Element to state agencies for a 60‑day review, citing short‑term fixes for most systems but noting long‑term funding needs for regional solutions and municipal upgrades.
Carroll County’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted Oct. 21 to send the draft county Water Resources Element (WRE) to state agencies for the statutory 60‑day review and comment period, with a recorded roll call of six yays and one abstention.
County water resources staffer Brenda told the commission that most local water and wastewater systems “have capacity or can get capacity within the short term,” but that longer‑term or regional options will be necessary in some places and will require substantial funding and timing. Brenda said short‑term measures include developing groundwater sources and I&I (inflow & infiltration) fixes for wastewater; longer‑term solutions could include regional projects or reservoir options that will take time and investment to deliver.
Commissioners and town representatives raised questions about how system limits affect municipal growth areas. Brenda said the WRE is intended to inform the county master plan and noted county roles the staff can pursue to support towns, including grant‑writing assistance, compiling MDE data, project design support, access to county contractors, and technical planning help.
The presentation used New Windsor and other small towns as examples: New Windsor officials told the commission their wastewater allocation is currently 115,000 gallons per day and that they are approaching 80% of that allocation, which triggered discussion of an upgrade to an enhanced nutrient reduction (ENR) system. New Windsor estimated an ENR upgrade at roughly $14,000,000, with an estimated local taxpayer share around $4,000,000 — a sum town officials described as a significant commitment for about 700 households.
Brenda outlined next steps: the draft WRE will go to state agencies for 60 days of review and comment, the county will take public comment concurrently, and a joint public hearing with nine planning commissions will follow. The commission’s vote authorizes staff to proceed with the 60‑day review process; staff said comments received during the review and hearing could prompt revisions before a final recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners.
The motion was moved and seconded during the Oct. 21 meeting and carried on roll call with the one abstention noted in the record.
