CUMBERLAND — More than six months ago, roughly 1,200 members of the Concerned Citizens of Bel Air, Pinto, Glen Oaks and Highland Estates signed a petition that accompanied a letter they gave to Allegany County officials.
At that time, the group asked for a meeting with county, state and federal elected officials, as well as representatives from Maryland Water Service, to discuss their remarkably high water bills.
The request came to fruition Thursday at the Allegany County Fairgrounds.
The meeting included representatives from the offices of Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, U.S. Sens. Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen; Allegany County Commissioners Bill Atkinson and Dave Caporale; state Sen. Mike McKay and Del. Jim Hinebaugh; and Maryland American Water President Laura Runkle.
American Water in May agreed to purchase multiple water and wastewater systems, including Maryland Water Service of the Texas-based Nexus Water Group, which currently serves the local Concerned Citizen group’s customers.
“We are all trying to help,” County Administrator Jason Bennett said of the local leaders who listened to residents explain their struggles to pay for water.
No formal action was taken at the meeting, where residents spoke of extreme ways they try to conserve water and struggle to survive financially.
Bel Air resident Hannah Smith said people fear their next water bill, fill buckets from creeks to flush toilets and dump human waste in their yards.
“We’ve been at this for months,” she said. “People can’t keep living like this.”
Vonanita Collins said her family recycles water from a dehumidifier, and takes sponge baths between showers.
“We actually put a timer on our showers,” she said.
“We should not have to live like this … please help us.”
Christine Taylor said her household of four people pays roughly $500 per month for water.
“We could be living in a much better house,” she said of the potential to pay a higher mortgage for a home with lower water rates.
Her husband Jim said Allegany County is one of the poorest municipalities in the state yet includes an area that pays higher water rates than Beverly Hills, California.
Between expensive water bills and towering wind turbines, a lot of houses are for sale in the Bel Air area, he said.
“They can’t afford to live there, and they can’t afford to move,” Jim Taylor said.
Kim Twigg said she pays “$98 a month before I get a drop of water.”
Mark Atkinson said for two people in his house, the water bill averages roughly $500 per month.
“I’m not gonna be able to keep my home,” he said.
“These astronomical numbers started appearing after they put in that electronic meter where they can read it from the street,” Mark Atkinson said.
“Now, suddenly I get these ridiculous numbers.”
He said his family at times has made payment arrangements with Maryland Water.
“I get this scarlet letter on my door to humiliate us,” Mark Atkinson said and held up a red flyer.
“Our property values are already down 25% where I live (and) our homes are becoming prisons where we can’t afford to leave them … we’re hurting.”
Larry Smith spoke of “economic exclusion” and elderly couples that reuse bath water.
He said the elected officials should request that the governor issue a state of emergency and form a task force to create a plan and policy, ask for an immediate investigation from the Maryland Public Service Commission, and oppose the sale of Maryland Water to American Water.
Del. Jason Buckel couldn’t be at the meeting, but issued a statement.
“Initially, I believe that a real effort needs to be made to ‘capture’ this private system and bring it into the county water supply system, giving local government far more input into rates and spreading costs across a broader pool of users in a more modern way,” he said.
“It is 2025, and parts of Allegany County outside our main municipal areas still deal with insecure, inefficient, or absurdly costly water supply issues.”
The water rates should be contested by every branch of government before the Public Service Commission, Buckel said.
“Every permissible step should be taken by county government to both oppose this company’s operation in Allegany County, and to oppose any acquisition or merger of the company by another entity that will continue the same rapacious practices that are driving our neighbors out of their homes or forcing them to choose between paying for food or medical bills, or having running water to their homes,” he said.