Well & Septic Management Program

Background Perspective

Historically, the County has had no proactive programs in place to promote the long-term sustainability of individual onsite wells and septic systems. There have been minimal opportunities for public education and no regular maintenance reminders or inspections. In the 2018 Update of the County’s Water and Sewer Plan, the County Council recognized the need for addressing the needs of communities dependent on onsite systems that may find their future options limited using individual, onsite systems.

In Montgomery County, once a well or septic system is installed and operating, there will likely be no further contact between the owner and the County government regarding that system until it has some problem or it fails. Onsite wells and septic systems all need proper operation and routine maintenance to promote their sustainability. This is of particular concern where potential problems from aging onsite systems have the potential to affect older rural neighborhoods.  These are neighborhoods where onsite systems, rather than public water and sewerage systems, are expected to provide long-term water supply and wastewater disposal service.  Proper maintenance and operation of onsite systems with the goal of long-term sustainability has the potential to reduce the need to replace those systems with public water and sewer service.  In many of these neighborhoods, existing public water and/or sewer mains are not close enough to reasonably provide public service.

Conversely, some older communities, using long-established public water and sewerage systems, still have properties interspersed using onsite systems. In some cases, public water and sewer service mains are just not available in parts of a neighborhood originally built out using onsite systems.  In other cases, the owners of properties that still use onsite systems have never availed themselves of the opportunity to connect to available water or sewer mains.

This can become a point of contention during property transactions. Inspections of onsite systems at this time can reveal problems that require replacement or abandonment of those onsite systems. Further, lenders may expect properties with available public water and sewer mains to abandon onsite systems and utilize public service. In a few cases, DEP has found owners who were not aware that their property used an existing septic system.

Management Program Elements

• The County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
• The County Department of Permitting Services (DPS)
• The Maryland – National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC)
• The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC)
• The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) 

While DPS maintains the responsibility for permitting and regulating individual systems in the County, that agency is not charged with performing systematic, long-range planning for rural sanitation systems management.  

Program Outreach and Education

In endorsing the Water and Sewer Plan’s concept for a County onsite systems management program, the County Council determined that the County first needs to work on the development of a functioning onsite systems database that will inventory and maintain ongoing records of the existing wells and septic systems throughout the county. DEP has development of a database underway.  (See the following section on this webpage.) Once a functional database exists, the Council directed DEP to develop an education and outreach program for onsite system owners. Education needs to focus on onsite system use and maintenance, with distribution either handled directly by the County or through service providers. The County’s initial efforts at this outreach will occur through a direct mailing to property owners that DEP has determined to have onsite wells and/or septic systems. The intent is to offer an opportunity for property owners to sign up to receive periodic maintenance and management information from DEP and DPS.

DEP has proposed legislation that will require owners of residential septic systems to pump out their septic tanks at least once every five years. Most onsite system management programs studied by DEP and the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) have generally accepted five years as the maximum time between septic tank pump outs needed to maintain septic system in good working order. Depending on usage of the septic system, some septic tanks may need more frequent pumping.

Under the proposed legislation, a property owner will receive a notice from DEP that they need to pump out their septic tank within the next 60 days. Once the pumping is completed, owners will send a copy of their contractor’s receipt to DEP to confirm the pump out. To help with this requirement, DEP proposes to provide a $100 reimbursement for property owners who confirm the pump out of their septic tank.  DEP will provide reimbursements from the fund for the Water Quality Protection Charge. (This will apply only once every five years, regardless of the number of times a tank is pumped during that period.) DEP may impose penalties for property owners who do not comply with this requirement. DEP expects that this program will start in July 2022 (the start of Fiscal Year 2023).

Future aspects of the onsite systems management program may include:

• Proactive, targeted on-site systems maintenance notices, such as reminders about septic tank pumping and well water testing.
• Requirements for periodic septic tank pumping. This may coincide with partial reimbursements for septic tank pumping.
• Periodic public outreach and education on individual onsite systems maintenance.

DEP Onsite Systems Management Database