MDE denies restoration fee exemption request for OP Sanitary Sewer Area

OCEAN PINES, Md. – The Maryland Department of the Environment has denied the request to exempt residents in the Ocean Pines Sanitary Service Area from paying the Bay Restoration Fee for 2023.

In January, Worcester County officials applied for the exemption, but MDE officials have concluded that the 2022 discharge monitoring reports show that the Ocean Pines Wastewater Treatment Plant averaged 2.84 mg/L of total nitrogen, which met the requirement to be eligible for the exemption, but averaged 0.315 mg/L of total phosphorus, which exceeded the eligibility requirement by 0.015 mg/L. Officials say the overage resulted from a brief spike in phosphorus levels at the Treatment Plant, which happened when manufacturers were unable to supply a chemical necessary for phosphorus removal due to national supply chain issues.

The first quarter water and wastewater bills for residents of the Ocean Pines SSA subsequently included a $15 BRF, and that fee will continue to be added to quarterly bills throughout the rest of 2023. County officials will continue monitoring WWTP operations and reapply for an exemption in 2024.