Sanitary District's rates going up 2%, more if you live outside Crisfield

PRINCESS ANNE — Proposed water and sewer rates published June 5 and June 12 and posted online by the Somerset County Sanitary District for fiscal year 2025 were approved by the Sanitary Commission following a public hearing where no comments were received.

Rates will be rising 2% starting July 1 throughout the county — but the subdistrict located outside of the City of Crisfield will see a significantly higher increase as charges are based on what is adopted by the Mayor and City Council which earlier this month voted to raise water by 7% and sewer by 13% — and that’s before a 20% multiplier is applied for utilities in this subdistrict.

What that means for the average homeowner is the minimum for water will rise from $95.76 per quarter to $105.21 and sewer will also move up by nearly $10 to $176.54. The minimum for this subdistrict is 4,000 gallons per month while elsewhere in the county it’s 6,000 gallons.

What will not change for FY25 is the $87.50 per 1,000 gallons charge for offloading septage at the Princess Anne wastewater treatment plant.

These fees are not associated with the quarterly debt service charge which after a public hearing before year-end will be set to take effect in January for calendar year 2025.

Absent from the hearing was Maxine Landon, the Smith Island representative.