Board adopts comprehensive-plan amendment to designate county water service district

The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt comprehensive-plan amendment AAM2024-06, which creates a standalone section designating the county as a water service district and provides enabling language for related subdivision and zoning rules. Staff described the change as an alignment of the comprehensive plan with earlier zoning and subdivision ordinance amendments and said the Planning Commission recommended approval by an 8–0 vote.

During the public hearing, residents from small community systems asked the board to clarify that routine maintenance, like‑for‑like replacement of private wells and small-system hookups, would not require permission from the Middlesex Water Authority. Susan Armintraut, speaking for the Urbana Harbor HOA, said the packet language encouraged her but asked that the ordinance text match the summary: "We were hoping for clarification from this tonight." Board members and staff clarified that existing systems would be exempted in the ordinance and that the amendment largely provides high-level enabling language for later, more detailed code sections.