LEONARDTOWN, Md. (January 4, 2012)—Due to high seasonal groundwater levels, St. Mary's County Health Department's Environmental Health Services division will begin wet season perc testing for all soil types on or about January 17. Perc testing was suspended in May 2011 due to declining groundwater levels.
Perc test applications received since May which were not able to be conducted will be scheduled first. While the levels are high enough for testing, the testing may not run continuously through the winter and early spring. The water table may recede causing the testing to be suspended; testing would be resumed when tables rebound to wet season ranges.
The staff at the Health Department's Environmental Health Services division conducts soil evaluations for the construction of residential and commercial septic systems. In addition, they also evaluate soil for replacement septic systems when the current septic systems fail.
The application for a new construction perc test is located at the St. Mary's County Department of Land Use and Growth Management (LUGM) and requires a fee. The application can be found by logging on to the St. Mary's County Government website at
www.stmarysmd.com. Click on Land Use and Growth Management under Citizen Services. All permit applications are available for download from the Permits page. The LUGM Department is located in the Patuxent Building on the Governmental Center Campus in Leonardtown.
For more information, please contact the St. Mary's County Health Department Environmental Health Services at 301-475-4321 or the St. Mary's County Land Use and Growth Management Department's Permit Services at 301-475-4200, x1500 or log on to the Health Department's website at
www.smchd.org.