If you are not sure that the public water and/or sewer system is available to your property, please refer to our internet screen titled 'IS PUBLIC WATER AND/OR SEWER AVAILABLE TO YOUR PROPERTY?" which tells you how to get that information.

If you know that public water and/or sewer is available nearby and organizing a petition to have it extended to your property has been suggested to you, we offer the following information as to how that process works.

The first step is to complete a petition form (a sample copy follows) and submit it to the Water and Sewer Engineering office. To obtain the form call 410-638-3300. The Water and Sewer Engineering office will develop a map which will highlight all properties which could be served by the water and/or sewer extension you are seeking. This map will accompany the petition form we provide to you so you will know which property owners to approach to sign the form indicating interest in researching the possibility of initiating a petition. The completed form will provide us with a measure of the neighborhood's interest in initiating a petition. Since all property owners are responsible for all eventual costs associated with the administration, design and construction of petition projects, it would be in the neighborhood's best interest to obtain as many signatures as possible in order to reduce the overall cost per property.

When you return the petition form, we will determine whether there is enough interest to initiate a petition project. If we find sufficient interest, we will then develop a more refined project service area and associated project cost estimates. A petition package would then be mailed to every property owner within the proposed service area. This information will include a summary of the estimated project costs, annual estimated assessments, term of the assessments, and a ballot. The ballot will include a statement that obligates all property owners to pay for all costs associated with the project if and when it is formally approved.

A community meeting will be scheduled with the property owners involved to explain all aspects of the project and answer any questions the owners might have before the ballots are sent to the County.

Once the ballots have been certified and tallied one of two actions can be taken -

1. If the majority of the property owners are opposed to the project for whatever reason, Water and Sewer Engineering will contact the Health Department for it's recommendation. If the Health Department completes a survey of the area and recommends the area be served due to public health considerations, the Division of Water and Sewer may proceed with the petition. If the Health Department does not complete a survey of the area, the property owners will be notified and the project file will be closed until such time that the property owners request it to be reopened.
   
2. If the majority of property owners are in favor of the project and still want the utility, a formal public hearing will be scheduled before the County Council.

There are several actions required of the County Council when a petition is brought before the County Council as a formal public hearing. As the proposed project progresses, the Division of Water and Sewer will request the Council to consider one or more of the following actions as may be appropriate -

1. Approval of the petition.
   
2. Transfer of funding and appropriation to create a capital project, a capital project being the actual project that will build the water and/or sewer extension that you are seeking.
   
3. Revision of the Water and Sewer Master Plan to include the properties involved in the proposed petition if they are not already included. The Master Plan is the document, ultimately approved by the State, that indicates all properties in the County that are included in the area that can be serviced by the public water and/or sewer facilities.

If the County Council finds the petition in order, during the legislation session that following public hearings, they will vote to authorize the funding and the construction for the project. The property owners will then be notified as to when construction will begin.

Council authorization of funding will be based upon the preliminary estimate by engineering staff. The estimated project cost will be updated when project design is nearing completion. If the estimated project cost exceeds available funding prior to award of construction contracts, the contracts shall not be awarded until the County Council approves a fund transfer for supplemental funding. The Division of Water and Sewer will notify all affected property owners of associated revised costs.

If the County Council does not find the petition in order, during the legislative session they will vote to not authorize the funding for the project. The property owners will then be notified as to the outcome and the file will be closed.

If the petition is formally approved, funded and constructed all of the property owners benefited by the project will be billed an annual assessment to pay the debt incurred by the Division of Water and Sewer. The actual dollar amount of that annual payment and the number of years you will be required to pay are finally determined when the project is complete and all actual costs are known. This annual assessment is in addition to Hook-Up Charges you will be required to pay prior to connection of your property to the new water and/or sewer line, the cost of the plumber to connect your property to the new line, your quarterly usage bills and the annual benefit assessment ($70 for water and $70 for sewer for 25 years). There is no charge to you for the initial work performed by the Division of Water and Sewer prior to formal approval of the project.

If you want more information about the petition process, please call 410-638-3300 or stop in 145 N.Hickory Avenue in Bel Air.