Worcester County Commissioners voted to approve two amendments to the county water and sewerage plan during their April 1 meeting, accepting updates that county staff said are needed to reflect planned infrastructure and to enable permit applications.

The first approved amendment updates the water service map for Ocean Downs Casino to reflect a proposed change from an existing 100,000-gallon elevated steel tank to a 150,000-gallon bolted ground-level tank. Robert Mitchell, director of environmental programs, said the amendment is necessary because the casino must include the change in the county plan before the state can consider its permit application.

The second amendment added several capital projects and planned interconnections across multiple service areas, including rehabilitation of the Mystic Harbor water plant, a force main under Sunset Avenue to West Ocean City, interconnections among Mr. Carver, Riddle Farm and Herring Creek water systems, and a treated-effluent transmission line from Mystic Harbor to Bridal Lagoon. Mitchell described the Mystic Harbor upgrades as replacement of antiquated filtration and control equipment and said the interconnections are meant to provide redundancy and alternative disposal routes when existing options such as injection wells or spray irrigation are limited.

Mitchell said the Mystic Harbor wastewater plant faces constraints from limited outfall capacity, diminishing efficiency of shallow injection wells and increasing seasonal flows; the projects are listed in the county capital improvement plan for 2026–2030. He and planning staff told commissioners the proposed changes do not expand mapped service areas or add new users, and planning commission review on Feb. 6 found the amendments consistent with the comprehensive plan.

Commissioners opened public hearings for both items; no members of the public testified. Commissioner Metrescek (mover) and Commissioner Fiore (second) moved approval of Resolution 2506 for the Ocean Downs amendment; commissioners later moved to approve Resolution 2507 covering the package of capital projects and interconnections. Both amendments were approved by the commissioners.

The amendments require future construction to meet county and state stormwater and environmental requirements; Mitchell emphasized that three of the projects are intended to reduce reliance on groundwater pumping and injection wells and to provide irrigation water alternatives for the Riddle Farm golf course.

Commissioner Bertino asked whether a previously requested survey would affect the Ocean Downs amendment; staff said it would not. Commissioners also asked about whether interconnections create a direct service connection among all systems; Mitchell said the projects create greater interconnectivity and redundancy but are not intended to increase service footprints or add parcels outside existing service areas.

The commissioners recorded the approvals at the end of the public hearings. Staff noted the amendments are informational components of the plan that allow project sponsors to pursue permits and capital work; any construction later would be subject to separate permitting and funding decisions.

For reference, county staff said these projects were already included in the county capital plan for 2026–2030 and that the plan’s water resources element calls for interconnection and feasibility studies where appropriate to ensure reliable operations.