Wastewater advisory committee gets county permission to examine merits of spraying

By Greg Ellison

(Feb. 6, 2020) Although the Ocean Pines Service Area Water & Wastewater Advisory Board received permission last month from the Worcester County Commissioners to explore the possibility of spraying treated sewage effluent on the Ocean Pines Golf course, the approach remains under consideration pending further investigation.

Water advisory board member Fred Stiehl said after broaching the topic in a Dec. 11 letter to Commissioner Joe Mitrecic that permission was granted in early January to research the matter further.

“Some of the issues are is this going to be safe, can it be done, who’s going to bear the cost and how will this relate to the environment?” he said.

Of the highest importance are potential impacts on the St. Martin River.

“We’re concerned obviously about run-off going into the river,” he said.

OPA Environmental and Natural Assets Committee Chairperson Ken Wolf echoed those apprehensions.

“Our committee is very concerned about the St. Martin River,” he said. “We revised our charter on the basis that the primary focus was really on the health of the St. Martins.”

Wolf said clarity is still needed regarding potential water quality issues prior to discharging into area waterways.

“I’m not clear on all the drivers here,” he said.

Stiehl said one aspect of the investigation will involve assessing other area golf courses, such as Eagle’s Landing near the Ocean City Airport, that have employed effluent for irrigation purposes.

“What’s their experience been and how successful have they been?” he asked. “There’s a bit of a record there.”

Stiehl said the Ocean Pines Wastewater Treatment Plant is in optimal operating condition.

“The discharge from our plant is one of the best in the state,” he said. “We’re not talking about discharging anything with pathogens.”

Wolf said despite those initial reassurances, the matter requires further consideration.

“I’d like to know more about what the effluent coming out of that treatment plant really does to that river,” he said. “I have more questions than answers.”

The approach would end the practice of watering greens with drinking water.

“Right now the golf course takes water from the aquifer we use for water for Ocean Pines,” he said.

Stiehl said using water from the aquifer has other ramifications.

“The more water you take from an aquifer the more likely it is that you’re going to start getting saltwater intrusion from the local bays and river,” he said. “We want to make sure we have a good source of drinking water for as long as we possibly can.”