the monthly cost ... is the highest of anywhere we have owned a home.

Thus is the economics of the eastern shore. At our home in Howard County, we pay $100 less per quarter than in OP. However, there is a single water and sewer system county-wide. Water is purchased from Baltimore City and there is a single sewer treatment facility.

In Worcester county, there are individual water districts at population centers, each with its own wells and treatment facilities for both water and sewer. These are each operated on a break-even basis, setting rates just for that district. As Joe pointed out earlier, OP rates are less than some other areas because we do not have to treat our water very much. I also believe we are densely populated, so our costs are spread over a large ratepayer pool than say Riddle Farms. Remember, much of the county is rural, with each household having its own water well and septic system. There is no appetite for a consolidation of county owned systems.  

I think we are getting a bargin.

Chip