08/18/2026
The Queen Anne’s County Commissioners took several actions during their August 11 meeting to establish a path forward for residential sewer allocation, updates to the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO), and adoption of the 2026 Comprehensive Water and Sewerage Plan (CWSP).
These actions are the result of nearly a year of work by the Moratorium Task Force, which was established to closely examine the County’s limited water and sewer capacity serving the Kent Narrows, Stevensville and Grasonville areas and identify options for managing future growth while protecting critical infrastructure capacity.
The County Commissioners enacted a temporary 12-month residential building moratorium in August 2025 to provide time for this comprehensive review. The moratorium expired August 12, 2026.
Over the past year, the Moratorium Task Force worked to evaluate available wastewater capacity, future allocation needs, adequate public facility standards and potential policy changes. The recommendations and discussions resulting from that process helped provide the framework for the actions now moving forward.
As part of the new approach to managing available capacity, the Commissioners agreed to establish an annual sewer allocation cap of 15,000 gallons per day (gpd) for residential uses, effective January 1, 2027.
The proposed Water and Sewer Allocation Policy also establishes how remaining wastewater treatment capacity would be reserved for residential, commercial and institutional uses, failing septic systems and public health needs, as well as a climate resiliency buffer.
The County’s recent wastewater treatment plant rerating provided an additional 300,000 gpd of capacity. Under the proposed allocation policy, portions of that capacity would be reserved to address known failing septic systems and public health concerns in the Marling Farms and Dominion communities, other areas with failing septic systems or public health concerns, commercial and institutional uses, and residential infill.
The Commissioners also directed staff to move forward with a proposed amendment to the County’s Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance related to high school capacity.
The proposed amendment would revise the high school Level of Service standard from 100% to 110% capacity. The change recognizes that high school enrollment does not always reflect the number of students physically present in a school because students may participate in work-study programs, dual enrollment, off-campus Career and Technical Education programs and other educational opportunities.
Members of the public will have an opportunity to provide comments on the proposed amendment as part of the public hearing process.
With direction from the Commissioners on the Water and Sewer Allocation Policy, the County can also continue the process of adopting the updated 2026 Comprehensive Water and Sewerage Plan.
The updated CWSP and Water and Sewer Allocation Policy are intended to provide a long-term framework for managing the County’s available wastewater treatment capacity while balancing residential development, economic development, existing public health needs and responsible infrastructure planning.
While the temporary building moratorium expires August 12, the work completed during the past year has helped establish new policies and a path forward for managing the limited capacity within the Kent Narrows, Stevensville and Grasonville service area.
Additional information, meeting agendas and opportunities for public comment will be available at qac.org as the APFO and Comprehensive Water and Sewerage Plan move through the public review process. Public Comment can be sent at any time for the County Commissioners by emailing [email protected] or attending a County Commissioner meeting and participating in the public comment.
