Funds approved to help protect the Chesapeake Bay from septic system contaminants.
Yesterday The Maryland Board of Public Works in Annapolis approved more than $2.3M in grants to reduce pollution and improve water quality through upgrades to septic systems.
Maryland Environment Secretary Horacio Tablada from the press release:
These smart investments in upgrading septic systems will protect public health and prevent water pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland communities across the state.
Grants from the Bay Restoration Fund totaling $2,318,000 will provide funding for counties to upgrade on-site sewage disposal (septic) systems to significantly reduce the discharge of nitrogen, one of the most serious pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay. Counties will focus on upgrading septic systems located within the critical area, which includes all land within 1,000 feet of Maryland’s tidal waters and tidal wetlands. It also includes the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic Coastal Bays, their tidal tributaries, and the lands underneath these tidal areas.
The critical area map is provided as an interactive tool on the Department of Natural Resources website. Eighteen Maryland counties will benefit from the grants.
