![[photo, Annapolis office, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, 7 State Cicle, Annapolis, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/35interc/images/1198-1-08010b.jpg)
The Commission provides water and treats sewerage to the District, which covers Prince George's and Montgomery counties, Maryland. In those two counties, the Commission provides drinking water to nearly 2 million people, and is responsible for the construction, maintenance, and operation of water supply and sewerage systems. Indeed, the Commission operates and maintains more than 10,000 miles of water and sewer mains. It also regulates and inspects plumbing and gas-fitting installations, and sets customer rates for its suburban Maryland service area.
Annapolis office, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, 7 State Cicle, Annapolis, Maryland, December 2016. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Sewage Treatment. Much of the sewage from the Commission service area is carried by trunk sewers into the District of Columbia and treated at the regional Blue Plains Pollution Control Plant in Washington, DC. Six other sewage disposal plants are operated by the Commission. Three are in northern Montgomery County at Seneca Creek, Hyattstown, and Damascus. The three plants in Prince George's County include the Piscataway Wastewater Treatment Plant at Piscataway Bay (Accokeek); and one each at Upper Marlboro (Western Branch), and near Laurel (Parkway Waste Water Treatment Plant).
The Commission's annual budget is subject to joint approval by the Montgomery County Council and the Prince George's County Council.
Six members constitute the Commission: three from Montgomery County, and three from Prince George's County. Each county's members are named to four-year terms by the County Executive with County Council consent (Code Public Utilities Article, secs. 16-101 through 29-107).
Dams & Reservoirs. The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission owns and operates three dams.
Completed in 1944, the Brighton Dam provides source drinking water for customers in the Washington Suburban Sanitary District. Located in Brookeville, the Dam spans the Patuxent River between Montgomery and Howard counties, creating the Tridelphia Reservoir.
The T. Howard Duckett Dam has operated since 1954. It spans the Patuxent River between Prince George's and Howard counties, creating the Rocky Gorge Reservoir.
Little Seneca Dam is at Boyds (Montgomery County), Maryland, in Black Hill Regional Park, which is run by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The Dam creates Little Seneca Lake, which is part of the Washington Metropolitan Regional Water Supply.
In addition, Engineering and Construction oversees six Divisions: Engineering and Environmental Services; Facility Design; Pipeline Construction; Pipeline Design; Planning; Regulatory Services.
The Engineering and Environmental Services Division provides technical services for capital construction contract specifications and bid documents, change order cost estimates, easement, right of way and service connection recordation. The Division maintains the Geographic Information System (GIS), provides internal surveying property acquisitions and manages and protects the source watersheds and reservoirs as well as oversees regulatory compliance of environmental assets.
Overseeing facility planning studies, special projects, facility and major pipeline design, the Facility Design Division also supervises construction management and inspection of major facility projects.
The Pipeline Construction Division oversees contract management and inspection of construction contracts for water supply and wastewater pipelines.
The Pipeline Design Division comprises three sections: Relocation, Sewer, and Water. The Relocation section evaluates impacts to the Commission’s pipeline infrastructure due to construction and related activities performed by other governmental agencies, utilities and private homeowners. The Sewer Infrastructure Section plans, designs, and manages sewer repair, replacement, and rehabilitation projects. The Water Infrastructure Section plans and manages the design of water main rehabilitation projects and provides technical support to the Commission's construction teams.
Managing water supply capacity and treatment, transmission distribution and storage systems for water as well as treatment, collection and conveyance of wastewater, the Planning Division also works on agreements with other jurisdictions and agencies for any proposed state or federal policies initiatives, laws or regulations related to the utility.
The Regulatory Services Division enforces the federally mandated pretreatment program and plumbing and gasfitting regulations, regulates discharges into the sewer system, conducts discharge samplings from industrial users, and investigates and responds to hazardous material spills in the sewer system. This Division includes the Fats, Oils and & Grease Program and Cross-Connection Control Program.
OFFICE OF PERFORMANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY
The Office oversees the development and execution of the strategic plan by
guiding goal-setting, prioritizing initiatives, optimizing resource allocation, and aligning stakeholders and employees to ensure effective implementation. By directing the identification, assessment, and mitigation of risks across
the organization, the Office ensures a proactive approach to managing potential threats. It also develops and implements strategies to minimize risk exposure, align risk management practices with organizational goals, and foster a culture of risk awareness. To assess departmental performance, effectiveness, and alignment with organizational goals, the Office leads a structured evaluation process as well as analyzes key metrics, resource utilization, and operational efficiencies to identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. The Office conducts regular data-driven statistical meetings to share accurate and up-to-date information, coordinates the development of tactics and strategies, deploys resources, and follows up for the collective benefit of all stakeholders in the process. Further, the Office facilitates the planning, execution, and tracking of high-priority initiatives that drive organizational growth and strategic objectives. It collaborates across teams to ensure alignment, accountability and continuously monitor progress to achieve set goals. Moreover, the Office performs data analytics projects by conducting rapid assessments and research, uncovering patterns, trends, and insights that might not be immediately apparent, as well as conducts benchmarking to compare performance against industry standards and best practices. Finally, the Office supports decision-making by collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating data to answer key questions and inform strategic actions.
The Office of Occupational Health and Safety develops, administers and oversees all of the Commission's safety and health programs. It works to ensure the safety and health of all employees, through education, awareness, training, inspections and enforcement. Key programs include the driver safety program, the confined space entry program, the trench/excavation program and the hazardous materials program.
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In April 2023, the Office of Performance and Accountability was created under the General Manager. It transferred to External Affairs in December 2025.
MISSION SUPPORT
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
Originally a Division within Human Resources, the Office of Occupational Health and Safety was moved under Mission Support by August 2024.
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