Environment - Managed Aquifer Recharge Pilot Program - Establishment
SB930 establishes Maryland’s Managed Aquifer Recharge Pilot Program and generally prohibits groundwater augmentation unless it is done under the new pilot framework. The bill authorizes the Department of the Environment to review, permit, and regulate a single demonstration project that would inject treated reclaimed water into an aquifer to test whether it can safely and effectively supplement groundwater supplies. The program is limited in scope and time, with permit applications accepted only between January 2, 2026, and January 3, 2028, and the act itself set to sunset in 2036 unless later changed by the General Assembly.
The bill sets detailed technical, monitoring, and public-health requirements for any permit applicant. These include treatment standards for reclaimed water, pathogen reduction benchmarks, PFAS and hazardous substance controls, hydrogeologic studies, monitoring wells, tracer studies, contingency planning, notice to nearby well owners, and annual reporting to the Department and the legislature. The Department may impose additional permit conditions, deny permits that pose unreasonable risks, and revoke permits for noncompliance or threats to water quality or public health. The bill also requires the Department to report on the pilot’s results and recommend whether the program should be modified, extended, or made permanent.
SB930 amends the Environment Article to add a new permitting category for managed aquifer recharge pilot permits and to make groundwater augmentation unlawful except as authorized under the pilot program. It also updates related definitions and places these permits within the Department’s existing environmental permitting framework. The bill affects the Department of the Environment, reclaimed-water treatment facilities, utilities, industrial users whose discharges may affect reclaimed water quality, and nearby well owners who may be impacted by groundwater augmentation activities.
The bill appears to have broad legislative support, passing the Senate unanimously and the House by a substantial margin. The vote history suggests general agreement that the state should test this water-supply strategy under tightly controlled conditions. The overall tone of the measure is cautious but favorable, emphasizing scientific evaluation, public-health safeguards, and limited authorization rather than immediate statewide deployment.
The main points of contention are not reflected in committee testimony, but the bill’s structure shows likely concerns around drinking-water safety, aquifer compatibility, and long-term environmental risk. The legislation addresses those concerns by requiring extensive treatment standards, monitoring, mitigation plans, and Department discretion to deny or revoke permits if risks emerge. Another potential issue is the policy question of whether reclaimed water should be used for groundwater augmentation at all, but the bill resolves that debate for now by limiting the authorization to a single pilot project and requiring future legislative review before any permanent expansion.