ANNAPOLIS, MD - March 2, 2026 - Anne Arundel County has recently reached peak flow capacity limitations within the Baltimore City Sewer Service Area (SSA). Specifically, these limitations affect areas that connect to the Baltimore County Patapsco Interceptor and Sewage Pumping Station (SPS). This moratorium is effective immediately.
While the County remains within its Average Daily Flow (ADF) limits, the shared systems' aging infrastructure and increased Inflow & Infiltration (I&I) during wet weather have caused peak volumes to exceed current multijurisdictional agreements. Due to ongoing consent decrees, Baltimore City and Baltimore County are currently unable to allocate additional capacity to Anne Arundel County, creating an immediate bottleneck for new development.
To address this emergency, the Department of Public Works (DPW) is declaring a moratorium on capacity allocation approvals for any new development in the SSA. Additionally, the County will immediately suspend the approval of any new allocations for building/tenant fit-out permits for projects flowing into the affected infrastructure. All currently allocated Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDUs) will be honored; however, no additional allocations will be granted at this time.
“Our multi-county team exhausted all options before arriving at the conclusion that we cannot approve any new connections in these specific areas. Our primary focus is to protect the health of our residents and the environment by avoiding sanitary sewer overflows,” says Karen Henry, Anne Arundel County DPW Director.
Exceptions will be made for infill lots with failing septic systems, which the County will prioritize. Tenant fit-out permits requiring one or more EDUs will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Any development projects or permits that did not receive a formal allocation prior to the date of this notice are now on hold. These projects cannot receive allocation or final approval until additional capacity is secured or this moratorium is modified or lifted.
For more information and to view a map of the affected areas, please visit orange-notice-26-02. To access the PDF of this press release, go here.