WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. - On Thursday in Ocean Pines, community members checked mailboxes for the latest Worcester County water bill, which has jumped for some and remained the same for others.
Worcester County recently sent out the quarterly water bills for those on Worcester County water, as well as a public notice for a proposed water and wastewater rate adjustment. The county is proposing a 5% increase to the base fee, meaning customers will have that fixed rate regardless of their water usage.
The public hearing, which will be held on May 5 at 6 p.m. at the Worcester County government building, will give community members an opportunity to voice their opinions about the present and future state of water management in Worcester County.
People across Worcester County have been taking their complaints to social media since November. That is when the county shared that rising operational costs, new state testing requirements, and maintenance at the aging water facility are the reasons why bills are much higher.
One West Ocean City neighbor, Jerome Denk, says he uses well water but has county-managed sewer and is experiencing high costs there. Denk says he's less impacted compared to others, but does think the overall system could use work.
"That's the bill that I get every three months, which I think is high," Denk says. "If you're not budgeting for that, you're not managing. You manage your people, you manage your equipment. You know, if you don't take care of equipment, it breaks. People are the same way; if you don't manage your people, they go away."
Those in Ocean Pines, such as Scott Keller, say they've seen the increase firsthand. Keller noticed the price changes multiple billing cycles ago. Â
"It used to be in the 2's, it's up to $320 now. So yeah, we did notice it," Keller tells CoastTV. "It's been pretty stable, I can't remember like a bunch of times where it's gone up. So, and I'm not one to complain a whole lot. But yeah, it hits you. Everything's going up, so you have to adjust for it."
Others, such as Jennifer Bodnar in Ocean Pines, say they haven't had the same experience. Bodnar says her bills have increased slightly, and not to the same extent as others.
"$312.31. So it's really not a lot higher than I normally am," Bodnar says as she opens her mailbox. "Mine hasn't, it stays pretty consistent."Â
