SALISBURY – A petition to bring the Morris Mill Urban Service District to a vote has failed, and the Urban Service Commission’s decision to bring a public water supply to the area of Morris Mill and Coulborne Woods by February 2016 is moving forward.
Council President Matt Holloway began Tuesday evening’s legislative session announcing the failure of a petition effort to bring the Morris Mill Urban Serve District to a vote. The petition’s deadline was Monday at 5 p.m.
County Attorney Ed Baker reported a total of 43 petitions were received. Nineteen petitions were rejected for various reasons, such as signed by non-owners, not all owners signed, addresses were not provided etc.
The total assessed value of the signed parties in the Urban Service District was $15,778,700. In order to enact the vote, 20 percent of assessed value was needed, which is $3,155,740 worth of assessed value. However, the petitions accepted were worth only $1,417,800. Therefore, the petition has failed, and the decision of the council establishing the Morris Mill Urban Service District is final.
The Wicomico County Council, acting as the Urban Service Commission, was presented the options in how to address polluted water supply by Trichloroethylene (TCE) in the area of Morris Mill and Coulborne Woods subdivisions in September. At that time, the commission voted to hold a public hearing in the evening of Oct. 14 at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center to receive public input over the matter of taking on an $8 million project extending public water service to the area.
The result of the lengthy public hearing was the commission voted unanimously to create an Urban Service District around the polluted neighborhoods to extend public water service by February 2016.
Citizens had 45 days to petition for a vote. A successful petition must be signed by the owners of 20 percent of the assessed value of the land in the proposed district to succeed.
In 2012, Trichloroethylene (TCE) was detected in the polluted well water of Morris Mill area residents. According to the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE), Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a clear liquid with a sweet odor. TCE is used as a solvent to remove grease from metals and in the production of other chemicals. It is also used in paints, varnishes, lacquers, paint removers, adhesives, and other commercial and consumer products.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded that long-term TCE exposure could pose risks to the nervous system, kidneys, liver, immune system and male reproductive system. The EPA has also concluded that TCE exposure might pose risks to unborn babies, including birth defects.
As of October, based on the quarterly sampling Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) has conducted, 81 total wells had detections of TCE. Forty-five of those detections were above the maximum contaminate level of 5 ppb. Sixteen wells with detections above action level of 2.18 ppb were found, meaning they qualify for activated carbon units based on the population inside the residence. Twenty wells with detections below action level of 2.18 ppb were reported, meaning no action is required. Eleven wells previously non-detect now have detections.
According to Peter Bozick of GMB Engineering, in June the Wicomico County Council authorized a preliminary engineering report. The purpose at that time was to address public health concerns and to develop an engineering perspective for a long-term solution for safe drinking water for those residents in the subdivisions in the affected area.
The report involved evaluating four alternatives — no action, public water supply, Individual Point of Use (POU) Water Treatment Systems or Community Water Treatment System.
The recommended project alternative is a public water supply provided by the City of Fruitland that comes to an estimated total cost of about $8 million.
Wicomico County Director of Administration Wayne Strausburg explained about $6 million in grants is expected for the project through state and federal funding, leaving the county to cover $2 million in bonds.
The project comes with a $409,500 connection charge budget, which is about $1,500 per resident.
Monthly fixed charges will be a $27 loan repayment and $5 repair and replacement reserve fee.
In a water usage fee will be added to monthly charges in the tune of $25 per 8,000 gallons, $33 per 16,000 and $41 per 24,000 gallons.
The estimated timeline of the project if approved by January 2014 is to have a design completed in six months, go to bid and have construction completed in 18 months for the project to be concluded in February of 2016.
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