LEONARDTOWN, Md. (December 20, 2018)—Due to high seasonal groundwater levels, the St. Mary's County Health Department will begin wet season perc testing on January 2, 2019. Perc testing was suspended in April 2018 due to declining groundwater levels.
Perc test applications received since April 2018 which were not able to be conducted are being scheduled first. This includes the perc test applications that were received during the wet season in 2018 that were not able to be accommodated due to unusually low water table levels. 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 health department's Environmental Health Division staff conduct soil evaluations for the construction of residential and commercial septic systems. 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 LUGM Department is located in the Patuxent Building on the Governmental Center Campus in Leonardtown. The application may be downloaded at the St. Mary's County Government's website at www.stmarysmd.com. Click on the Land Use and Growth Management link under Public Agencies. All permit applications are available for download from the Permits webpage.
For more information, please contact the St. Mary's County Health Department's Environmental Health Division 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 visit the health department's website at www.smchd.org.