High grades at a county wastewater plant in Ocean Pines have led to continued exemptions from paying into the Bay Restoration Fund, saving residents millions.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(March 1, 2018) Ocean Pines residents have saved millions of dollars over the last 12 years by being exempted by the Maryland Department of the Environment from paying into the Bay Restoration Fund.

Jessica Wilson, enterprise fund controller for the Worcester County Treasurer’s Office, said Ocean Pines residents saved about $4.4 million in total, or roughly $540 each, since the fee became effective in July 2005.

“The Ocean Pines Sanitary Service Area has been granted an exemption from paying into the Bay Restoration Fund because the wastewater treatment plant facility has not received a federal or state grant and the prior-year discharge monitoring reports show the facility is in compliance with the Enhanced Nutrient Removal requirement,” she said in an emailed statement.

Wilson said compliance levels were an annual average nitrogen and phosphorus concentration of 3 mg/l and 0.3 mg/l, respectively.

“The wastewater treatment facility was upgraded from a Biological Nutrient Removal to an Enhanced Nutrient Removal plant in the early 2000s, which provided better performance and helped to protect the environment,” Wilson said.

She announced the exemption was granted for calendar year 2018 during the most recent Worcester County Commissioners meeting, last Tuesday.

“Just want to say thanks to our public works for just keeping that plant in the quality it is,” Commissioner Jim Bunting said at the time.

“This is very beneficial to the Ocean Pines service area to get this exception,” Wilson said, adding, “They do a very good job, the public works does. I just submit it on their behalf to get the exception.”

The current exemption expires on Feb. 1, 2019. The exemption is granted annually if the facility meets the requirements, Wilson said.