WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. - Wicomico County is facing a significant infrastructure challenge as private sewer systems age rapidly. County officials are moving forward with plans to create a county-run water and sewer system, a project that has been in the works for years and is expected to cost several million dollars.
With a population of approximately 104,000, Wicomico County currently lacks a county-wide public water and sewer system. After extensive studies, county leaders are proposing a two-pronged approach: connecting residents near Salisbury and Pittsville to those communities' existing water and sewer systems, while establishing a new county-run system in the western part of the county.
Council President John Cannon emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, "Our efforts are to try and salvage those homes that we know their septic systems could fail in the next few years. We want to make sure we have adequate services for them before that happens."
On Wednesday, county leaders met with the Maryland Department of the Environment to discuss the existing plans, which will require significant capital investment likely sourced from federal, state, and local governments.
Mike Dunn of the Greater Salisbury Committee noted that improving water and sewer systems will positively impact the real estate industry in the county. "As they go to sell or buy a property, that septic system is 30, 40, 50 years old and it's likely to fail the inspection," Dunn explained. "So then it becomes, wow, who is paying for the replacement of the septic system?"
Despite some disagreements on a number of issues between the county council and the executive branch, County Executive Julie Giordano expressed confidence in the collaborative effort surrounding this issue. "They understand it very much so, and it's nice to work in collaboration with all of us on board with this issue," Giordano said.
This long-discussed project is expected to take three to five years to come to fruition, according to Council President Cannon, as the county seeks to tackle this longstanding problem and set a sustainable course for the future.
