Service Area Category Changes: Administrative Process

Administrative Process

To qualify for the administrative process, a category change request must satisfy the requirements of one of several individual service policies in the County's Water and Sewer Plan. Requests must be:

• Consistent with Water and Sewer Plan policies and master plan recommendations
• Intended to relieve a public health problem for a single property resulting from a failing well and/or septic system
• Seeking public service for single properties that abut and predate an existing or approved water or sewer main
• Seeking public service for government buildings and facilities
• Seeking the approval of large-capacity (multiuse) on-site systems, typically for commercial or institutional uses

To complete the administrative process review, DEP staff make recommendations on the case and must get the concurrence of the Montgomery County Planning Board and the individual members of the County Council.

Application requests that go through the administrative process are reviewed as follows:

1. The Montgomery County Planning Board meets to hear public testimony on the administrative applications, ask any questions, and conclude with a recommendation.
2. Notification postcards are sent at least 30 days before the administrative hearing date to all property owners next to and adjoining the property applying for the category change. Applicants and interested parties are emailed about the hearing date. The hearing is also advertised in the County's Gazette.net newspaper.
3. DEP holds an administrative public hearing (four times a year) at which time questions can be answered and testimony (verbal or written) is accepted for the applications in that administrative group.
4. When the hearing record is closed and all public testimony has been taken into consideration, applications that may be approved administratively are recommended to the Director of the Department of Environmental Protection as amendments to the Water and Sewer Plan.
5. The Director reviews the recommendations and finalizes the amendments.
6. All interested parties are notified of the amendments.
7. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is notified of the amendments and has a 90-day review period.

Return to Top

How to Prepare for Your Public Heariing

You may submit written testimony about your application to the Director of the Department of Environmental Protection, 255 Rockville Pike, Suite 120, Rockville, MD 20850. All testimony must be submitted before the hearing record closing date. Contact DEP at askdep@montgomerycountymd.gov to find the Hearing Record Closing date.

Hearings held at the DEP facility (255 Rockville Pike #120, Rockville, MD) are accessible to handicapped individuals. Interpreter services for hearing impaired citizens may be guaranteed subject to at least five business days notice.

Administrative Process Review Schedule

Click this link to see a planned schedule of upcoming DEP administrative and County Council actions Note: This calendar is intended only as a guide to help project the timing of your application review process.

For further assistance, contact:

• Department of Environmental Protection
  Email: waterworks@montgomerycountymd.gov
  Phone: 311

Return to Top