History: Sewer Treatment Plant

Several factors contributed to the ultimate construction of the County’s sewer treatment plant. They included the steadily increasing growth of year round-residents on Kent Island, an increasing number of septic system failures, and the adverse impacts on shellfish in waters contaminated by septic system discharges to groundwater. As a result, the County was able to secure significant Federal and State grant funds to remedy these conditions.

The construction of a public sewerage system for the Chester, Stevensville, Kent Narrows and Grasonville wastewater subdistricts was completed in 1981 utilizing EPA grants. The initial facilities, which came on-line in 1982, consisted of a vacuum collection and force main transmission systems along the US 50/301 corridor and an 800,000 gallon per day treatment plant. The plant was re-rated to 1.0 million gallon per day (mgd) in May of 1986, and doubled to 2.0 mgd in 1990 at a cost of $6.5 million.

One of the principle factors in locating the treatment plant was the need to maximize the area of the mixing zone where the treated effluent was discharged and the waters receiving the treated effluent. Because the Chesapeake Bay would provide the maximum dilution, a site adjacent to the Bay was the clear and obvious choice.

The current site on the eastern edge of Kent Island, north of US 50/301 was chosen because of this location next to the Chesapeake Bay and its proximity to the area to be served with public sewer. In addition, the closer the proximity of the treatment plant to the receiving water, the lower the cost of the plant construction.

Consequently, the availability of sewer had a significant impact on the development potential of the Kent Narrows, the Stevensville and Chester communities on Kent Island, and Grasonville areas. The treatment facility addressed the failing septic systems and allowed properties to be developed that otherwise had not yet been since they did not pass percolation tests under the State’s Wet Season Standards developed in 1973 or the On-site Construction Standards developed in 1985. See 1987 Comprehensive Update