The Metropolitan Commission (MetCom) provides public water and sewer services to St. Mary’s County operating 17 elevated water storage towers, 37 ground storage towers, and 28 water supply and distribution systems, including 67 wells which annually supply approximately 1.4 billion gallons of water. In addition, MetCom owns and/or operates 7 wastewater treatment facilities treating a combined daily average of 1.5 billion gallons of wastewater.
The new Charlotte Hall elevated Water Storage Tower (WST) near the Maryland Transit Administration Park and Ride Facility on MD Route 6 serves the Charlotte Hall Town Center area. The Water Appropriations and Use Permit was obtained from the Water Management Administration and MDE’s Certification of Potability for the well was received on January 15, 2019. Water quality testing for the storage tank has been completed and the facility has been placed into full operation. This particular tower will provide 400,000 gallons of storage and includes a 250 gallon per minute (gpm) well. The new facility will ensure adequate fire suppression (as the only available water for fire protection is owned by the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home), address storage lost due to a damaged ground storage tank and provide water storage for domestic use. The approved capital construction budget was $3.107M and was funded through a low interest loan from the Department of Housing and Community Development. The project was made successful through the efforts of MetCom staff, contractor (Caldwell Tanks, Inc.) and Designer (WR&A).
George Erichsen, MetCom’s Executive Director stated, “We are pleased to have the Charlotte Hall water tower on line, and we are now pressing forward on the construction of what will be the largest MetCom water tower” (see rendering at right). A much larger, two million gallon composite water storage tank in the Hickory Hills community (located behind the new Nissan dealership on MD 235) will replace the existing 500,000 gallon facility, built in 1992. The new facility has an approved budget of $6.297M for the storage tank and $0.997M for the new 700 gpm well which replaces the 1982 well and draws water from the Patapsco, not Aquia Aquifer. A new well house, pump controls, disinfection/metering/telemetry equipment, a stand by diesel generator and demolition of the existing tower are included in the contract. Bids were opened on July 10, 2019 and the MetCom Board approved the recommendation for award on August 8, 2019. Construction is anticipated to be completed 710 calendar days following the formal Notice To Proceed. This project will help stabilize water system pressures throughout Lexington Park as well as improve water storage deficiencies to meet the current water demands of the community. This project is funded through a low interest loan from the Department of Housing and Community Development. The project has come to fruition due to the efforts of MetCom staff and project designer, WR&A.
To learn more about planned projects, please visit www.metcom.org and select Capital Improvement Projects under the Engineering tab.
