State grants for septic tanks are now based on income

Friday, Jan. 1, 2010

The amount of state grants to help pay to replace failing septic systems near tidal waters will now be based on the income of homeowners, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment.

The sliding scale goes into effect with the start of the new year.

Across the state there are about 52,000 septic systems within 1,000 feet of tidal waters, called the Critical Area.

Unlike sewage treatment plants, private septic systems don't remove nitrogen, and each system ends up producing about 30 pounds a year. Nitrogen is linked to the degradation of water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.

New septic systems, required by the state, cut the nitrogen output in half, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment, but also cost more. A $30 annual fee on tax bills for properties with a septic system is supposed to supply a statewide fund for the replacement of failing systems.

The fee produces $8 million a year, enough to cover 600 to 700 septic upgrades a year, the department said. An average upgrade, plus five years of maintenance, costs between $10,000 and $13,000.

When the Chesapeake Bay Nitrogen Reduction Act of 2009 was passed at the last session of the Maryland General Assembly, it was unclear how failing septic systems would be paid for under the new provisions.

None of Southern Maryland's legislators voted for the bill.

"They ought to completely cover it anyway out of the flush tax," said Commission President Francis Jack Russell (D). "It's kind of a Catch-22 for a lot of people. If [the septic] fails it can be a tremendous expense for them."

According to the Maryland Department of Planning, there are 22,623 septic systems in St. Mary's County, with 5,327 of those in the Critical Area. Under the Bay Restoration Fund program, 88 have been replaced and upgraded locally, with 68 in the Critical Area.

The St. Mary's County comprehensive land use plan states 18 percent of the county lies within the Critical Area (41,630 acres).

Waterfront areas of Piney Point, St. George Island, St. Mary's City, Wicomico Shores, St. Clement Shores and Airedele Road in Ridge are served by public sewer, but the rest of the homes in the Critical Area are served by septic tanks.

The state's 66 sewage treatment plants are all in line to be upgraded in part by the Bay Restoration Fund to reduce levels of nitrogen in tidal waters. High levels of nitrogen in the water end up depriving plants and wildlife of oxygen.

The county's main sewage treatment plant, Marlay-Taylor in Lexington Park, is budgeted for a $32.5 million upgrade.

The plant's permit allows 8 milligrams per liter of nitrogen in the final outflow, but that will be reduced to 3 milligrams.

As of Sept. 30, 2009, the Maryland Department of the Environment said 1,778 septic systems have already been upgraded, for a reduction of 25,000 pounds of nitrogen a year.

jbabcock@somdnews.com

Sliding scale for reimbursement

The Maryland Department of the Environment has established a sliding scale to reimburse homeowners for the costs of upgrading failed septic systems in the Critical Area.

The grants will be awarded based on federal income tax brackets. Below are the grants based on 2008 taxable income for married couples filing jointly or household income:

ï Up to $65,100 – 100 percent grant

ï $65,101 to $131,450 – 75 percent grant

ï $131,451 to $200,300 – 50 percent grant

ï More than $200,301 – 25 percent grant

No commercial property, rental property, seasonally occupied property, nonresidential property and nonprimary homes will be eligible for a grant of more than 25 percent of the installation cost.

All commitments made before Jan. 1 will be honored for the original amount.