You pee, you poo, you pay. A while back, the
Maryland Legislature took a step towards protecting the Chesapeake
Bay and its tributaries when it passed what has become known as “the
flush tax.”
The bill established the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays
Restoration Fund to be supported by a $2.50 a month fee on sewer
bills and an equivalent $30 annual fee on septic system owners.
These funds are collected by the County and turned over to the State
which distributes the funds to utilities to upgrade waste-water
treatment plants to reduce nitrogen discharge which causes algae
blooms that harm other aquatic life.
The revenues from septic tank users are used to upgrade or replace
failing septic systems and to provide financial assistance to
farmers to help plant cover crops to prevent nutrient runoff from
agricultural land. This is the government equivalent of the
pay toilet. The government has now completed the cycle where
what we eat and drink is taxed when it goes in and now it is taxed
when it comes out.