The “flush tax” in Maryland is set to double under a bill passed by both houses of the state legislature. The $30 annual fee will increase to $60 to fund programs to protect the Chesapeake Bay, including wastewater treatment plant renovations, septic system upgrades, and cover crop programs to help farmers prevent soil erosion. A new provision exempts areas where wastewater is not discharged to the Bay. The tax, instituted in 2004, is paid on sewer bills or property taxes. An amendment to end the tax in 2030 was defeated in the Senate. Before the latest session, a legislative had recommended tripling the fee to $90 by 2015.

The legislature also passed a plan from Governor Martin O’Malley designed to further protect the bay. Counties will have to develop a four-tiered system to control where septic tanks may and may not be used. The bill was amended to put that power in the hands of the counties rather than the state.