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Resident warns of falling aquifer levels and rising arsenic in St. Mary’s drinking water
Summary
A resident told commissioners the county’s groundwater table is falling and that arsenic levels are approaching EPA thresholds, urging the county to consider the cost and feasibility of treatment and long‑term water supply planning.
Bill Pyle, a lifelong resident, warned commissioners that St. Mary's County’s drinking water comes from local aquifers several hundred feet underground and that the water table is dropping. He said falling levels can increase arsenic concentrations and warned the county about the potential costs of treating water that exceeds the EPA’s 10 parts‑per‑billion guidance.
Pyle suggested the county needs a clear plan and cost assessment for sustaining water quality as the aquifer declines, noting local industrial and regional withdrawals that pull significant volumes from shared groundwater resources. His comments were part of broader public testimony urging the county to strengthen infrastructure and plan for the long‑term costs of growth and resource use.
