From our close-knit communities
...to the promise of what the Bay provides with seafood, recreation and maritime commerce – many things make us love calling Anne Arundel County home. As a land of rivers perched on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, water is one of our most fundamental and valued resources. And we know the quality of our water can directly affect our quality of life.
But our water is polluted.
Excessive nitrogen and phosphorus – from the fertilizer we use on lawns, gardens, and farms and from wastewater, septic systems, and stormwater runoff – hurt the Chesapeake Bay.
Poor water quality in the Bay directly impacts public health by exposing our residents to harmful bacteria. It also causes an excess of algal blooms that create “dead zones,” areas depleted of oxygen, where aquatic life is unable to live.
In our ongoing efforts to protect the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers, creeks, and streams that surround it, we’ve made progress on our journey to recovery. And to continue, the most important challenges today are:
Preserve and restore the water quality of the Bay
Protect our communities
Our wAAter is a vital program that will provide long-term benefits by protecting our waterways and the Chesapeake Bay while also improving our groundwater supplies and water resiliency. Led by the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works (DPW) and developed with guidance from the Maryland Department of Environment and the Environmental Protection Agency, we are pursuing long-term strategies to reduce pollutants in the Bay.
Our wAAter will address water quality while simultaneously strengthening the County’s water resiliency by using an integrated approach with five initiatives:
Interested in switching from septic to sewer?