►
Description
Calvert County's communities, agriculture and natural ecosystems thrive on healthy and clean water. How does Calvert County acquire, treat and distribute fresh water?
Calvert Broadcast, in partnership with the Department of Public Works, Water & Sewerage Division, presents a guided course on local aquifers, water distribution methods to community businesses and residents, water treatment, EDUs, water conservation tips and more.
A
Healthy
communities
are
built
upon
access
to
fresh
water
and
thoughtful
Wastewater
Management
in
the
U.S
one
day
in
glasses
of
water
are
consumed
every
day
we
cook
clean,
bathe,
grow
crops
and
even
generate
electricity
with
it
of
all
the
water
on
Earth
97
is
salt,
water
and
two
percent
is
trapped
in
glaciers,
this
leaves
less
than
one
percent
as
fresh
water
for
our
cooking
cleaning,
bathing
Agricultural
and
Industrial
uses
no
new
water
is
ever
created
on
Earth.
The
existing
source
is
endlessly
recycled
through
ever-changing
forms
within
Earth's
ever-evolving
ecosystem
as
populations
and
demand
increases.
A
The
source
of
water
does
not
seeing
as
how
our
bodies
are.
Two-Thirds
water
and
water
covers
75
of
the
planet.
It's
clear
that
human
abundance
depends
on
thoughtful
management
and
protection
of
our
Fresh
Water
Resource.
Where
does
our
Calvert
County
water
come
from?
There
are
two
sources
of
fresh
water:
surface
water
and
groundwater
or
aquifers,
one
of
water
bearing
Rock,
readily
transmits
water
to
Wells
and
springs.
It
is
called
an
aquifer,
Wells
can
be
drilled
into
aquifers
and
water
can
be
pumped
out.
Precipitation
eventually
adds
water
into
the
porous
Rock
of
the
aquifer.
A
Here
in
southern
Maryland,
we
depend
on
aquifers
for
the
vast
majority
of
our
water
supply.
These
aquifers
include
Piney,
Point
nanjamoy,
the
Aquia
McAfee
and
lower
Patapsco
aquifers.
The
Piney
Point
niangemoi
aquifer
is
primarily
used
for
small
water
users,
such
as
self-supplied
residential
users
and
small
businesses.
A
A
A
County-Owned
Public
Water
Systems
deliver
to
approximately
5
470
customers
throughout
Calvert,
in
addition
to
other
public
water
systems
that
are
not
owned
by
the
county.
The
water
Distribution
Systems
are
comprised
of
more
than
77
miles
of
water
mains,
750,
fire,
hydrants,
14,
elevated
storage,
tanks,
12
Hydro,
pneumatic
Tanks,
A,
standpipe
and
other
water
infrastructure
components
that
make
it
possible
for
clean
water
to
be
delivered
to
the
County's
residential
institutional,
Industrial
and
Commercial
customers.
A
Before
any
of
this
water
can
reach
public
user
households,
it
must
be
pumped
from
the
aquifers
into
a
disinfection
process
or
fluorine
or
chloramine
is
added
to
kill,
parasites,
viruses
and
germs.
Specific
filtration
processes
are
located
at
two
facilities
to
address
groundwater
quality
issues
from
naturally
occurring
mineral
deposits,
as
well
as
use
of
a
sequestering
agent
in
multiple
systems
to
address
iron
and
manganese
deposits
where
levels
do
not
warrant
filtration
who
regulates
the
water
quality.
A
Any
facility
that
serves
water
to
25
or
more
people
a
day
for
more
than
60
days
per
year
is
a
public
water
system.
The
federal
Safe
Drinking
Water
Act
establishes
requirements
for
public
drinking
water
systems
and
the
Maryland
Department
of
environment
as
primary
Authority
for
enforcing
the
federal
requirements.
A
Protection
of
drinking
water
involves
the
use
of
the
best
possible
Source
in
protecting
that
Source
from
contamination.
Ensuring
adequate
supplies
for
the
demand
conducting
routine
monitoring
of
water
quality,
regularly
inspecting
water
treatment
infrastructure
and
ensuring
that
consumers
are
informed
about
their
drinking
water.
Calvert
County
releases,
its
consumer
confidence
report
annually.
A
Private
Wells
are
not
regulated
by
the
EPA
but
by
the
Maryland
Department
of
environment
in
the
Calvert
County
Health
Department,
the
Calvert
County
Department
of
Public
Works
Water
and
Sewer
Ridge
division
is
committed
to
providing
its
customers
with
drinking
water
that
meets
or
exceeds
Allstate
and
federal
drinking
water
standards.
What
is
an
edu?
An
equivalent
dwelling
unit
is
a
state
and
local
unit
of
measure
to
calculate
one.
The
quarterly
average
of
a
property's
water
usage
from
a
development
planning
and
adequate
public
facilities
standpoint
and
two,
the
quarterly
average
of
a
given
property's
sewer
usage.
A
What
are
capital
connection
fees,
Capital
connection
fees
are
monies
charged
for
a
property's
capacity
allocation
to
public
water
and
sewage
systems.
The
fees
are
needed
to
perform
maintenance
and
upgrades
to
support
the
infrastructure
that
delivers
safe
water
and
for
collecting,
treating
and
releasing
effluent
over
the
life
of
a
system.
Capital
connection
fees
are
updated
from
time
to
time
with
permission
by
the
board
of
County,
Commissioners,
private,
well
and
septic
systems
are
not
responsible
for
any
Capital
connection.
Fees,
as
the
investment
and
management
of
private
systems
are
the
responsibility
of
the
private
owner.
A
Smart
Resource
Management,
there
are
risks
associated
with
withdrawing
fresh
water
faster
than
the
rate
aquifers
can
naturally
replenish
themselves
or
recharge.
A
cone
of
depression
is
formed
where
the
water
table
sinks,
because
of
heavy
pumping
water
is
extracted
out
of
the
ground,
which
leaves
an
Airy
space
around
the
soil
particles.
If
the
pumping
rate
is
faster
than
the
water
flowing
in
it
results
in
the
drawdown
of
the
water
table
at
the
location
of
the
pump,
the
water
table
surrounding
the
pump
slopes
down,
make
it
a
cone-shaped
pattern
around
the
curved
walls.
A
A
Calvert,
County,
government,
Water
and
Sewer
is
an
Enterprise
fund.
An
Enterprise
fund
is
a
user-supported
service,
separate
from
the
local
government's
general
fund,
in
which
revenues
generated
by
users
and
expenditures
related
to
management
of
the
Enterprise
service
come
together
to
accomplish
a
common
goal.
Examples
of
Enterprise
fund
operating
include
the
public
water
and
sewer
division
in
the
landfill
charges
for
public
water
and
sewer
Services.
A
Your
water
and
sewer
payments
go
towards
common
costs
associated
with
operating
the
public
water
and
sewer
system
such
as
replacing
fixtures
fittings
and
equipment
and
buildings
like
pump
houses,
Wells
and
tanks
review
are
how
do
I
read
my
water
and
sewer
bill,
video
for
breakdown
of
costs
associated
with
your
water
and
sewer
bill,
empowering
the
consumer
as
populations
grow,
so
does
the
shared
responsibility
of
fresh
water
and
wastewater
management
for
our
Collective
health
and
prosperity.
The
most
effective
tools
for
thoughtful
Resource
Management
are
education,
conservation
and
Innovation.
A
Practicing
water
conservation
on
a
regular
basis
not
only
lowers
your
bill,
but
also
extends
the
usable
life
of
water
supply
infrastructure.
Sound
water
use
practices
make
us
more
resilient
during
extreme
weather.
Events,
consult
calvertcountymaryland.gov,
water
saving
tips
for
tips
on
how
to
save
water
usage
in
your
household,
be
an
educated
consumer
sign
up
for
water
and
sewer
updates
at
Calvert,
County,
md.gov,
Water
and
Sewer.
Together
we
can
manage
our
water
and
sewer
resources
to
ensure
a
future
water
supply
for
generations
to
come.