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6/24/2024 10:26:42 AM
 
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Section 18: Worcester County Subject: Water Pressure Msg# 1206434
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I, with loans from Chase, doubled the size of the treatment plant capacity to 1 million gallons per day. The rest of the expansion was done by the County at the expense of the OP residents. I'd grant them one expansion to 1.5 million as insurance but I believe they went directly to 2.0 million GPD. Hard to determine if this was done out of bureaucratic "cover our ass" or "build it and they will come". I'd bet on a combination of both but this community has been bearing the cost of the expansion and will until they ever get the expected paying usage.
Joe doesn't like the analogy but a privately owned utility would probably be more responsive to the need to only build what can be financed and repaid through future usage. The president of the board at that time said he was relieved that the system was sold to the County because rates would be lower. Why?? Because a private company would have to pay taxes which would be reflected in rate increases. I pointed out that he and his cohort appeared before the utilities commission to oppose successfully my request for a rate hike because the company was losing money. Companies don't pay taxes on losses. |
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For reference, the above message is a reply to a message where: In looking back on my notes, I started contacting the Board regarding the Glen Riddle Waste being trucked in back in September of 2022. In July 2023, I received a response from Chip Bertino that stated Ocean Pines receives monetary benefit for accepting the waste from Riddle Farm in the form of payments from the Riddle service area to the Ocean Pines service area. I never could get any details on how much that monetary benefit was. I was told that each month the operators at Riddle report to the Treasurer’s Office the volume of waste hauled and where it was sent. The appropriate funds are then transferred between service areas. Regarding my concerns about the “wear & tear," on the Ocean Pines Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), I learned that the faciility is rated to process 2.5 Million gallons of wastewater each day. The current peak flowrate during the summer into the Ocean Pines plant is approximately 1.0 Million gallons per day. Of that, on average, Riddle is hauling approximately 50,000 gallons a day to Ocean Pines with no effect felt at the plant. However, anyone seeing the trucks going in and out of Ocean Pines might disagree. Commissioner Bertino stated a year ago that that pumping and hauling Glen Riddle’s waste not a permanent fix. The County had invested $100,000 in the design of upgrades to the Riddle WWTP to address the issue. In July of 2023, Commissioner Bertino stated the design was 90% complete and was submitted to the Maryland Department of the Environment for a Construction Permit on May 26, 2023 and they were waiting on their approval/comments. In addition, the County has obtained a grant from the Dept. of Commerce to construct the improvements I have heard no further updates from the Board. |
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OPA Board Meeting - Golf Clubhouse
5/24/2025 - 9:00 A.M. |
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OPA Board Meeting - Golf Clubhpuse
6/28/2025 - 9:00 A.M. |
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OPA Board Meeting - Golf Clubhouse
7/26/2025 - 9:00 A.M. |
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Annual Meeting - Assateague Room
8/9/2025 - 9:00 A.M. |