County Advances Sewer Projects to Address Failing Septic Systems

Wicomico County’s Department of Public Works is moving forward with a long-term, multi-year effort to eliminate failing septic systems and extend municipal sewer service to select areas of the County. The work implements recommendations from the County’s 2021 Water and Sewer Master Plan, which identified priority areas where aging or inadequate septic systems pose risks to public health and water quality, particularly where neighborhoods are located near existing municipal sewer infrastructure. 

Wicomico Environmental Trust recently spoke with Adam Corry, Acting Director of Wicomico County Public Works, and Amanda Pollack of the Center for Watershed Protection, which is providing technical assistance to the County as it works to implement the Master Plan. Both emphasized that while progress is underway, this is a complex effort that will unfold over many years and require sustained planning, funding, and coordination. 

“The Master Plan gives the County a roadmap, but implementing it across a county as large and diverse as Wicomico is a long-term effort,” Pollack explained. “Each project requires coordination with municipalities, state agencies, funding partners, and residents. This work takes time, but having a clear plan allows the County to move deliberately and transparently.”

Corry emphasized that the County’s approach is rooted in what he described as the “three-legged stool” of public health: ensuring clean drinking water, proper disposal of solid waste, and appropriate treatment of wastewater. With a background in public health and environmental protection, including years focused specifically on on-site sewage disposal, Corry was selected specifically to head up this effort for Wicomico County. 

“From a public health perspective, it’s a no-brainer to get properties onto sewer where it makes sense,” Corry said. “When septic systems fail, families are left facing a problem that has no easy solution, and that’s not something that communities can ignore.”

What the Master Plan Recommends

The 2021 Water and Sewer Master Plan assessed wastewater needs county-wide and found that of approximately 18,000 existing septic systems:

• Roughly 10,000 properties could potentially be served by extending municipal sewer systems;

• About 5,000 properties may require standalone or decentralized treatment systems; and

• Approximately 3,000 properties may be very difficult or costly to address due to location, soil conditions, or other constraints. 

• Based on these findings, the plan recommends extending sewer service from nearby municipalities wherever feasible, particularly in areas with known septic system failures, while exploring other solutions in more rural parts of the County.  

Starting with “Low-Hanging Fruit”

The County is currently focusing on what Corry and Pollack describe as “low-hanging fruit.” These are areas where the sewer can be extended efficiently, primarily by gravity, and where documented septic system problems already exist. Initial projects include several neighborhoods adjacent to the City of Salisbury, selected in close coordination with the Wicomico County Health Department. 

Salisbury is a logical starting point because it has existing wastewater treatment plant capacity and a recently established Out-of-Town Service Agreement. The agreement allows sewer service to be extended outside city limits without requiring annexation when there is a documented public health need. 

Neighborhoods currently under sewer extension system design include North and South Delano Avenue, the Regency Drive area, and the Presidents/Lincoln Heights neighborhood. At present, the Salisbury-area septic elimination project is the only active sewer project in the County with preliminary state funding secured; all others remain in conceptual or early planning stages. 

Looking Ahead

Future efforts are planned to extend sewer to Parsonsburg from Pittsville, and serve parts of western Wicomico County including the Town of Mardela Springs, though those projects depend on upgrades to municipal wastewater treatment plants and the availability of funding. For example, progress in Parsonsburg is contingent on first upgrading Pittsville’s wastewater treatment plant. County officials estimate that many of these projects remain some years away from construction, but they are laying the groundwork to enable future implementation. 

The County is also beginning to think more broadly about long-term needs, including a potential regional wastewater approach in western Wicomico County and future planning along the Old Ocean City Road corridor, which contains numerous subdivisions. A full update to the County’s Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan is underway to look as far as 20-30 years into the future. 

Increasing Public Transparency

To support oversight and transparency, the County is forming a Technical Advisory Committee. The County Council has urged the Administration to announce these positions and consider a broad spectrum of community representatives in addition to those with identified technical expertise, and this process is expected to conclude by late February. The committee will hold regular public meetings and serve as a resource for residents seeking information about project timelines, costs, and future phases of sewer planning. 

“Everything will be discussed in a public forum, and residents will have clear points of contact if they have questions or concerns,” Pollack shared. 

What Residents Should Know

County officials stress that, for most affected residents, future sewer projects are still several years away from construction, unless they have already been contacted by  municipal or County officials. Residents with failing or aging septic systems, especially those near municipal boundaries, are encouraged to let the County know so their concerns can be documented as planning continues. 

For residents included in the current Salisbury-area project, opting in during construction will not require any upfront connection costs. The project covers abandonment of existing septic tanks, installation of sewer laterals, and City of Salisbury sewer connection fees. Homeowners will begin paying a regular sewer bill after connection, but no property tax increase is associated with the project. This project includes sewer service only and does not include connection to public water.

Importantly, connection to sewer under this program does not require annexation into the City of Salisbury. The City’s out-of-town service agreement allows sewer service to be extended when there is a documented public health need, and annexation cannot occur unilaterally as a result of this project. 

Public outreach will remain a critical part of this work as funding decisions are finalized and designs move forward. While some residents may face new utility bills, these projects are designed to prevent far greater financial burdens associated with septic failures, protect groundwater and surface water by reducing nutrient pollution, and improve long-term public health outcomes across Wicomico County.