St. Martins neighborhood to connect to OP water service

By Jack Chavez Staff Writer

(June 22, 2023) A year after a push to connect the St. Martins by the Bay community to the Ocean Pines Water System gained steam, the bayside residents got their wish on Tuesday.

In a unanimous vote following a public hearing in which no one spoke, the commissioners approved the amendment to the county Comprehensive Water and Sewerage Plan that will move the 58person residential community off well water using an eight-inch water main extension from the water system down Beauchamp Road and to St. Martins Parkway.

phases — because of rising costs.

Mitchell said that his department is processing a “financial package” from USDA to help with the costs.

That combination of grants and low-interest loans gets the community open to public water,” he said.

“The community system there is from 1984.”

Environmental Programs Director Bob Mitchell

The current system serving the St. Martin’s residents is a community water service facility and all properties use a community water supply system or have individual wells, according to a memo from Mitchell.

“The community system there is from 1984,” said Environmental Programs Director Bob Mitchell. “It’s very challenging to keep it maintained.”

A November 2021 estimate forecasted that the project will cost about $2 million according to the Department of Public Works — up from an original estimate of $1.5 million, including the design and construction

Because of the limited capabilities of such an outdated system, it wasn’t unheard of for the residents of St. Martin’s to receive notification that water would need to be boiled to be safe for consumption. The new system will abandon the existing water supply, treatment and storage building.

The amendment works by changing the designation of St. Martin’s water service from a private community system to a public one within the Ocean Pines water planning area. It already carries a W-1 zoning designation that will not be affected.