Berlin staff warn new state advisory rule will add work even as grants push key water and sewer projects forward

Berlin officials on Tuesday told the council that a new Maryland Department of the Environment reporting requirement set to take effect July 1 will create extra work for town crews even as state grants and loans advance several water and sewer capital projects.

Natalie, the staff member who led the water presentation, said MDE is now asking towns to issue proactive full water advisories when an outage affects more than five service connections and to begin additional bacteriological testing that can take 24 hours to produce results. "I dread it. I've fought it. I've spoken my displeasure with it," she said, adding that the town expects MDE to provide a template letter but that additional staff time and resident outreach will be required.

Why it matters: the town’s revenue projections cover operating costs but do not fully fund capital upgrades, staff said. That gap means projects will rely heavily on external grants and loans and on carried-forward reserves. Town staff cautioned the council that some budget items may be pulled from introduction if a reliable revenue source cannot be identified.

Key projects and funding

- William Street/Main Street: Natalie said the town has an email confirmation (letter pending) for funding tied to Phase 1 work on William Street; the engineer’s estimate for that project came in at $1,900,000. She reported an additional ~$1.8 million indicated for a nearby Main/Broad Street project.

- New well near Henry Park: staff said they received an MDE loan offer of $867,000 toward a well the engineer estimated at $1,300,000; the proposed site is town property near Henry Park and would add resiliency so the system could withstand the failure of one well without rationing.

- Sewer main reline and pump stations: staff identified a prioritized sewer main (from the end of Bottle Branch Road to the treatment plant) for reline work to restore integrity and said the town plans a $1.6 million West Street lift-station replacement that will require short-term road closures.

- Treatment plant and efficiency grants: staff reported a $50,000 energy grant for LED lighting at the wastewater treatment plant and included $25,000 in the budget for installation. Other carry-forward items at the plant include a digester roof and belt-press upgrades.

Operational impacts and timing

Staff described operational impacts from the new MDE advisory rule: door-to-door sample collection for bacteriological tests, immediate notification to MDE within an hour of the outage, and likely public questions about water safety. "In that hour, I'm not really caring to call them; my concern is how to get the water off, get the water fixed, and get the residents with water back on," Natalie said, emphasizing the added administrative burden.

On lead-service-line work, staff told one resident that Branch Street is likely "a couple years out" for replacement work; the town also said it will receive a detection device (described in the meeting as a noninvasive tool sometimes called a 'swordfish') that can identify service-line materials and help complete required inventories by 2027.

Next steps

Staff asked the council to consider scope and funding sources for a rate study that would evaluate capacity, ready-to-serve charges, and the town’s minimum-bill structure. Several council members signaled support for moving forward with a focused study. The council will receive revised budget materials in the packet; any capital items lacking a revenue stream will be removed from the introduced budget.

The work session did not include any formal votes on these items; staff said timing for construction depends on grant releases and design completion.