Sewer Bills

Pushing aside the misgivings of the Ehrlich administration, legislative leaders said yesterday that they plan to make homeowners with septic systems pay the same surcharge to protect the Chesapeake Bay as those on public sewer systems. Sen. Paula C. Hollinger and Del. Maggie L. McIntosh, who are chairwomen of the Senate and House committees handling Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s bill creating a fund to upgrade the state's sewer systems, said the legislation will be amended to ensure that septic system owners do not escape the fee. The legislation, Ehrlich's top environmental initiative of the 2004 session, has won praise from the Democrats who control the General Assembly - even as they labeled it a "flush tax."

Del. Elizabeth Bobo has introduced legislation that would ban the business of using estimates to charge apartment residents for their water and sewer bills within a year, limit the service fees charged by billing companies and impose a stiff fine on any landlord who does not charge residents for their exact usage. The bill, co-sponsored by Harford County Democratic Del. Mary-Dulany James, could give Maryland some of the most strict water-billing regulations in the country. Such states as Oregon, North Carolina and Texas have regulated the industry, and debates over the practice of unmetered billing are raging elsewhere across the nation.

DePalmer to hold `Meet the Candidate' event at park today Independent Carroll County Commissioner candidate Vince DePalmer will hold a "Meet the Candidate" event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. today at Christmas Tree Park in Manchester. A cookout with hot dogs, hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob and soft drinks is scheduled. DePalmer and his family will meet with residents during the afternoon. The event is free, but donations to the campaign are welcome. Information: 410-374-6193. Environmental awards to be presented Wednesday The Carroll County commissioners will present the Carroll County Environmental Awareness Awards at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Dairy Show Pavilion on the fairgrounds of the Carroll County Agricultural Center as part of the 4-H/FFA Fair festivities.

When Harford County heads to the bond market today, it will do so with a higher rating that will save the county millions of dollars, officials said yesterday. Moody's Investors Service of New York has boosted Harford's rating from Aa2 to Aa1, one step from the top AAA rating, County Executive James M. Harkins said yesterday. "Wall Street has taken a good look at Harford County, and they like where we're going," he said. Yesterday's announcement marks the third rating upgrade since Harkins took office three years ago, said county Treasurer James M. Jewell.

Thousands of residents of the Freedom Area, Carroll's most populous region, could see their water and sewer bills swell by as much as 10 percent this summer. The county commissioners are weighing a proposal that would change the method used to calculate the rates for public water and sewer service. The method, which officials called complex, was adopted in 1972. Under the method proposed by O'Brien & Gere Engineers Inc., a Landover consulting firm, rates for moderate and high volume users -- those who use more than 10,000 gallons of water per quarter -- would jump by as much as 10 percent.

In the latest development in a long battle between Covenant Baptist Church and its neighbors-to-be, the Howard County Planning Board unanimously voted yesterday that the church's land off Centennial Lane in Ellicott City should remain in the county's public water and sewer district.The board's recommendation will be given to the Howard County Council, which will vote on the matter next month. The council will hold a public hearing Monday night.Several weeks ago, two Howard County councilmen, Democrat Guy J. Guzzone of southern Howard and Republican Allan H. Kittleman of western Howard, filed a bill to remove the church's property from public water and sewer service because they wanted to prevent Covenant Baptist from building a controversial senior housing complex on it.The housing project was already in jeopardy because the Planning Board recommended against it in early April.

Annapolis homeowners could see their annual water and sewer bills go up by as much as $67 over the next five years under a plan recommended by engineering consultants.The study by Kansas City-based Black & Veatch Corp. suggests raising the rates by 44 percent this year up to a total of 62 percent to 67 percent by 2004 to enable the Department of Public Works to repair sewer and water pipes without digging into reserve funds or borrowing. The study is to be presented to the city council Monday.

Johns Hopkins Hospital will gain a $133,480 credit on its city RTC sewer bill as part of a settlement over disputed charges.Baltimore bills customers based on their consumption of clean water. Most people discharge into the sewer as much water as they receive. The city, however, provides a partial exemption for sewer charges if the property owner can show how much of the water is used in processing or production and is not returned to the city sewer system.Hopkins installed water meters in 1994 and realized that it had been paying sewer charges for more than 35 years even though the hospital wasn't discharging as much water into the sewer system as it received.

Taneytown residents no longer will be able to pay water and sewer bills at local banks.The City Council voted Monday to drop the quarterly bank payment option, effective with next month's water and sewer bills.City officials reported that communication glitches with banks caused the city to send overdue notices to several customers who had paid their bills.The city signed an agreement with local banks in January 1995 to collect payments as a convenience to customers.Residents may mail their bills, pay them at City Hall during business hours or leave payments in a 24-hour drop box at the city office entrance, 17 E. Baltimore St.Project Liberty Ship to hold fund-raiserProject Liberty Ship, a preservation group working to save the Liberty ship S.S. John W. Brown, will hold an Adopt-a-Rivet program at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8806, Penrose Street, Union Bridge.

Union Bridge officials are making progress in collecting overdue water and sewer bills.At 1995's end, 35 of the town's 380 accounts were in arrears for approximately $9,000. By the end of 1996, the town staff had cut overdue bills to five accounts in arrears for $1,900."They've worked hard to get accounts up to date," Councilman Selby M. Black, water and sewer committee chairman, reported at Monday's Town Council meeting.He praised Debra Rippeon, clerk, and Melissa Phelps, assistant clerk, for their work.