As previously reported on Conduit Street, Governor O’Malley introduced his septics legislation (SB 236) last week.  The bill stems from recommendations made last year by the Task Force on Sustainable Growth and Wastewater Disposal and prohibts major subdivisions on septic systems.  Local governments that adopt a “4 tier system” in their comprehensive plans will have some additional flexibility.  A major change in the bill is that the Maryland Department of the Environment will now approve residential subdivision plats. 

The bill can be difficult to follow and MACo has prepared a 3-page summary highlighting the history of the bill, its contents, and why some Task Force recommendations were not included in the bill.  Additionally, MACo has also prepared a chart showing the differences between this year’s bill and last year’s proposed legislation (HB 1107 / SB 846).

Hopefully you will find these resources useful in reviewing the proposed legislation.  MACo will be debating the septics legislation in the coming weeks.