As of the first of the year, onsite wastewater systems in Maryland will be required to utilize the Best Available Technology (BAT) for removing nitrogen.
The new Maryland Department of the Environment regulations require BAT for all new and replacement septic systems in virtually the entire state. The Maryland Onsite Wastewater Professionals Association voiced concern about the changes, according to Treasurer Kevin Koepenick, mainly because it includes no exceptions. “There are too many situations where BAT isn’t necessarily effective,” he says.
The stringent requirements are part of the state’s response to the regional Chesapeake Bay restoration program. The partnership, formed in 1983,
