EDUCATION

Existing Conditions and Trends

The Town of Emmitsburg and the nearby area are served by three public schools: Emmitsburg Elementary, Thurmont Middle, and Catoctin High School. All pupils within the corporate limits of Emmitsburg are within the Emmitsburg Elementary School District.

Emmitsburg is also served by Mother Seton School, a private parochial school associated with the Daughters of Charity at Emmitsburg.

Public School System Enrollment and Capacity

The following table includes the enrollments and school capacities for the Frederick County Public Schools in the Emmitsburg area as of September 1997.

The capacities of the elementary schools have undergone a reduction as a result of a change in the State Rated Capacity from 30 students per classroom to 25 students per classroom. This is reflected in the "equated enrollment" figure for the elementary schools. Temporary additions and portables are not included in the State Rated Building Capacity.

Public School System Enrollment Projections

The following table includes the projected enrollments for the Frederick County Public Schools in the Emmitsburg area through 2004.

Parochial School System

Mother Seton School, located at 100 Creamery Road in Emmitsburg, handles kindergarten through eighth grade and has 351 students (September 1996) with available capacity in the lower grades.

EDUCATION PROBLEMS AND ISSUES

Capacity Stress and the Need for New Facilities

The public schools serving Emmitsburg are projected to be over capacity through 2005. To address these deficiencies, the approved FY 1998-2003 Frederick County Capital Improvements Program (i.e.' CIP) called for a new elementary school to be constructed in the Thurmont area in 2001 and an addition to Thurmont Middle School also in 2001. The new elementary school is planned for 670 students and the addition to Thurmont Middle will accommodate 180 students with eight to ten new classrooms. An addition is scheduled for Catoctin High School which is proposed to increase capacity from 833 to 1200 students. The Catoctin High addition is scheduled to be completed in September 2001.

The need for and location of new school facilities is determined through an analysis of planned residential development activity and projected population growth, which is then compared with the Board of Education's Ten Year Master Facilities Plan. As a rule, student enrollment in the public school system increases along with population growth and housing construction. New student enrollment figures can be projected with use of a Pupil Yield Factor for each housing type. The following table indicates the Pupil Yield Factors which were used to determine Public School enrollment projections in the FY 1998-2003 Frederick County Capital Improvements Plan.

The adopted Thurmont Region Plan of October 1995 indicates that long range development potential in Emmitsburg could yield 382 elementary school students in the next twenty years. This could mean doubling the capacity of Emmitsburg Elementary. In addition, the adopted Region Plan indicates that the proposed expansion of Thurmont Middle will fall short of accommodating the expected 1, 150 students in the next twenty years. Since Thurmont Middle may not be able to accommodate additional expansions, the Region Plan identified a new middle school for Emmitsburg. The adopted Region Plan also calls for expansion of existing Catoctin High School as a long range need.

EDUCATION GOALS/POLICIES

GOAL TO PROVIDE FOR A COMPLETE PACKAGE OF LOCAL COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE EMMITSBURG COMMUNITY

Short Term Policies:

POLICY The Town supports expansion of Emmitsburg Elementary School in order to accommodate projected increases in student population, as well as the Extended Elementary School Concept which retains students from kindergarten through eighth grade at the Emmitsburg Elementary School.

POLICY All schools within Emmitsburg should be designed to fully integrate pedestrian access ways within and around the site.

POLICY Emmitsburg will consistently seek to improve coordination between the Town and the Frederick County Board of Education/Public Schools.

Long Term Policies:

POLICY The Town strongly supports construction of a Middle School within Emmitsburg during the twenty-year time frame of this Plan and will seek to dedicate land for this purpose.

POLICY The Town strongly supports construction of a High School within Emmitsburg during the twenty-year time frame of this Plan and will seek to dedicate land for this purpose.

POLICY The Town seeks to group future public school facilities together in a campus setting within Emmitsburg.

PARKS AND OPEN SPACE

Existing Facilities and Conditions

Developed parkland resources available to Emmitsburg residents in or near Emmitsburg consists of over 790 acres of municipal parkland, Board of Education land, Town watershed and other resources.

The Emmitsburg Community Park, comprising 72 acres extending from West Lincoln Avenue to Tom's Creek, is the Town's largest park site. Other parks within the corporate boundaries include the Emmitsburg Memorial Park on Chesapeake Street, Emmit Gardens Park, Northgate's park, and at the Emmitsburg Elementary School.

Parks and Open Space Problems and Issues

Park and open space are defined as a separate lot or area which provides for the protection of the environment, for recreation or for public use, including public facilities such as schools, libraries, fire stations, as well as parks and trails as shown in the Comprehensive Plan.

Park Distribution and Accessibility

The majority of designated park and open space land within Emmitsburg is located south of Main Street/MD 140, although most of the newly-built and planned residential development in the Town is and will be located north of Main Street/MD 140.

Park land is not accessible to all Emmitsburg residents. Although some of the newer subdivisions in north Emmitsburg have small "tot lot" style parks, the larger park facilities, including Emmitsburg Community Park and swimming pool, are not easily accessed by most Town residents except by automobile. Since most residential growth is projected for the northern sections of Emmitsburg, future park facilities should be planned along Irishtown Road, North Seton Avenue or future Brookfield Drive.

Obtaining Usable Park Land and Functional Open Space from Development

Most residential subdivisions approved by the Town over the past decade have resulted in deficient park/open space land dedications. Some recent park/open space dedications include stormwater management ponds, wetlands, and land with significant topographical constraints which prevents development by the Town into active recreational areas.

Lack of viable park and open space land dedications from some of the newer subdivisions has placed much of the responsibility for providing new park land with the Town.

A number of options are available to stimulate additional park and open space resources within Emmitsburg, including the following: 1) Securing dedication of better quality park and open space resources through the development process; 2) Purchase of additional municipal park and open space resources by the Town; and 3) Modifying the required recreation standards in the subdivision regulations to index the fee-in-lieu-of recreation dedication to inflation. This will enable the Town to keep abreast of the cost of parkland and will permit the purchase of additional park resources.

In order to secure park/open space land from new developments that meets the needs of residents, the Town should revise the process for new park/open space dedication during the subdivision process.

Special incentives and/or density bonuses should be considered to encourage developers to provide more usable park/open space, as well as more park/open space during the preliminary plan stage of development.

The Town can obtain usable park land by granting density bonuses to potential developers through the use of either a Sliding Scale for Park/Open Space Dedications or through a Point Guidance System which awards points based upon criteria which correlate to specific benefits to the Town that will be provided by a proposed new development. Both of these systems can be implemented during the subdivision process. The Table below illustrates the concept of a sliding scale incentive program for Park and Open Space dedications.

Park and Open space dedications should be negotiated by Town officials during the Preliminary Plan stage of development. It is highly recommended that permanent easements be granted to the Town prior to recordation of Final Plats for all proposed park/open space dedications.

Greenway Linkages Between Open Spaces and Parks

A cost-effective means of open space protection, Greenways can be planned along stream or road corridors, ridge lines or along edges of developed areas to link existing and planned open spaces, parks, and school facilities.

Connecting separate parkland and open space parcels to create a network of open space corridors linking new or existing park or open space areas with one another can enhance the aesthetic and recreational characteristics of Emmitsburg.

Since it is more effective to reserve greenway corridors in advance of development, rather than to acquire easements crossing numerous properties after land is subdivided and sold, the Town should complete a Park and Greenways Plan and incorporate the proposed greenway network into the comprehensive plan policies and maps.

PARKS AND OPEN SPACE GOALS/POLICIES

GOAL SECURE ADDITIONAL QUALITY PARK AND OPEN SPACE RESOURCES WITHIN EMMITSBURG TO ENHANCE THE OVERALL COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT

Short Term Policies

POLICY Incorporate incentives/density bonuses into the zoning and subdivision regulations to encourage developers to provide both higher quality and increased quantity of park and open space land during the development process.

POLICY Modify the required recreation standards in the subdivision regulations to link the recreation "fee-in-lieu-of" for parkland dedications to a certified appraisal process approved by the Town.

Use of a certified appraisal, rather than using a set fee per lot,

should enable the Town to finance future parkland costs and should permit the purchase of additional park resources, when needed.

POLICY Complete a Park and Greenways Plan to link existing and planned community activity areas through open space corridors. The study should include land both inside and outside the Town's current corporate boundaries and be included as a part of the Town Comprehensive Plan.

POLICY Amend the zoning ordinance to state that permanent easements are granted to the Town prior to recordation of Final Plats for all proposed park/open space dedications.

Long Term Policies

POLICY The planned community park site should be located near to the proposed Middle School site.

POLICY The Town should work to link existing and planned community activity areas by open space corridors, such as stream valleys, trails, pedestrian walkways, and bikeways.

FIRE AND AMBULANCE PROTECTION

Existing Conditions, Trends and Projections

Fire Protection

The Vigilant Hose Fire Company is located at 25 West Main Street, a half block west of the Town Square. Vigilant Hose Company has 85 volunteer staff and no paid staff. The Company serves an area of approximately 44 sq. mi., including a portion of Pennsylvania. There were 256 annual calls to Vigilant Hose in 1994. Vigilant Hose currently has one tower truck, two pumpers, one squad vehicle, and two brush units (for mountain fires). The tower truck is a recent addition. The Vigilant Hose Company Building was expanded in 1995 and the A new space accommodates the tower truck.

The Insurance Services Offices (i.e., ISO) reviews public fire suppression facilities and assigns a fire insurance rating on a relative scale from 1 to 10, with 10 representing less than the minimum recognized protection. The ISO Public Protection Classification rating for Emmitsburg is 4, as assigned in 1995. Prior to this, Emmitsburg had an ISO Rating of 6. The ISO rates a variety of features of each system, including, but not limited to, the following: 1) The ability of the locality to receive and handle fire alarms; 2) The capability of the area Fire Department(s); and 3) The fire flow characteristics of the local public water supply.

As a rule, water system adequacy for fire protection purposes necessitates required "fire flow." Proposed water system improvements should address future population projections for Emmitsburg and required "fire flow" needs.

Ambulance Service

The Emmitsburg Ambulance Company is located at 300 South Seton Avenue. The Ambulance Company has 60 volunteer staff with no paid staff and serves an area of approximately 60 square miles. Emmitsburg Ambulance Company currently has two basic life support units and one four wheel drive special unit with stretcher. The Ambulance Company served 900 calls in 1994.

Emmitsburg Ambulance Company is planning an addition to their South Seton Avenue facility and their Five Year Plan calls for a new ambulance vehicle and a rescue boat.

Fire and Ambulance Protection Problems and Issues

Water Supply

Adequacy of Emmitsburg's water system is one area which could pose future fire protection problems. A 1986 study of Emmitsburg's water system identified several areas of low water pressure within the Town. This may be caused by deficiencies with existing water mains. In addition, the water needs of the National Emergency Training Center sometimes involves rapid withdrawals which has the effect of drawing down water pressure and system reserves.

Proposed water system improvements should address future population projections for Emmitsburg and required "fire flow" needs for the future population.

Routine Calls

Increasingly, the Ambulance Service is strained by the number of "routine calls," which are calls for non-emergency transport. This is contributing to the large annual increase in service calls. Some limitation of routine call service may be necessary to retain overall adequacy of service.

FIRE AND AMBULANCE GOALS/POLICIES

GOAL RETAIN THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF LOCAL FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES FOR THE RESIDENTS OF EMMITSBURG AND PROMOTE EFFECTIVE FIRE PREVENTION TECHNIQUES IN ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION

POLICY Encourage fire protection through the provision of fire sprinkler systems in townhouse and multi-family residential construction within the Town.

POLICY Promote continued use of volunteer fire and ambulance services in Emmitsburg in order to retain the high quality and personal nature of the Town's public safety services.

POLICY The Town should work to obtain an ISO Fire Suppression Rating of 3 or above.

POLICY Continue goodwill services to the community and close personal interface between the fire and ambulance services and local schools, businesses, and residents.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Existing Conditions, Trends and Projections

Police protection within the Emmitsburg corporate limits is provided through a local program of the Frederick County Sheriff's Department. At present, two Deputy Sheriffs are provided to the Town who provide local law and traffic enforcement functions for Area 11/Emmitsburg.

During September through November 1995, over 23 calls were averaged a week in Area 11/Emmitsburg, resulting in over 90 average monthly calls. Over 60 percent of calls received in this period were during night hours.

Law Enforcement - Issues

The extended service area for County Sheriff personnel includes much of the northern area of Frederick County, which can remove Sheriff personnel from the Town for periods of time. Also, there is an expressed need for a visible law enforcement presence by residents of Emmitsburg.

LAW ENFORCEMENT GOALS/POLICIES

GOAL RETAIN THE HIGHEST QUALITY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES AND PERSONNEL TO SERVE THE EMMITSBURG COMMUNITY

POLICY Law enforcement personnel should be visible throughout the community.

POLICY Expansion of law enforcement services should be consistent with growth of the resident population and tax base.

POLICY Continue goodwill services to the community and close personal interface between local law enforcement services and local schools, businesses, and residents.

LIBRARY SERVICES

Existing Conditions, Trends and Projections

The Emmitsburg Library is a branch of the Frederick County Library system and is presently located in the Emmitsburg Community Center on South Seton Avenue. The Library is currently 2,700 sq.ft. in size and operates from Monday through Saturday, approximately 38 hours a week. The Library System maintains branch libraries in both Thurmont and Emmitsburg.

Annual circulation levels for the Emmitsburg Library has increased over the past several years: 1993 - 22,949 materials circulated; 1994 - 23,862 materials circulated; 1995 25,830 materials circulated.

The Emmitsburg Library includes programs for children including "Story Times," and "Time for Two's," which is a special program for 2-year olds.

An expansion of the Emmitsburg Library is scheduled for the planned renovation of the Emmitsburg Community Center. The first phase of the renovation is designed to remove hazardous materials and to make the facility compatible with Americans with Disability Act (ADA) regulations. Later phases will increase the size of the library to 6,000 sq. ft.

Currently, the Frederick County Library system employs two Bookmobiles. Runs are scheduled throughout the County on a three-week cycle. Bookmobile service is currently provided to a limited number of child care facilities in the Emmitsburg area, although care is given so that the Bookmobile service does not directly compete with Emmitsburg's existing library facility to avoid duplication of services. The library staff are examining whether extension of Bookmobile service into the evening hours is feasible into the future.

Computer linkages to the Maryland Online Public Information Network is available through the Frederick County Public Library as of November 1995, allowing access to the library system's text, graphics, motion, and sound files. Computer access to Library resources is projected to expand over the next two decades providing another means of access to library resources for Emmitsburg's residents.

LIBRARY GOALS/POLICIES

GOAL TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY LIBRARY SERVICES TO ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE EMMITSBURG COMMUNITY

Short Term Policies

POLICY Expand the current Emmitsburg Library to provide for increased space and additional services.

POLICY Retain Bookmobile service to Emmitsburg's neighborhoods. POLICY Provide access to the online library resources to all residents of Emmitsburg.

Long Term Policies

POLICY The Town strongly supports construction of a Regional Library Facility within Emmitsburg during the twenty-year time frame of this Plan.

CHILD CARE FACILITIES

Existing Conditions and Trends

The largest segment of Emmitsburg's residents are between 25 and 44 years of age. Census data indicates that this age group is indicative of families with school-age children. The 1990 census indicates that 8.2 percent of Emmitsburg residents are five years or younger, although this figure is expected to rise through the end of this decade.

In response to employment requirements, Emmitsburg residents increasingly are using local child care services. Additional child-care services will be needed to meet current and projected population increases by young families.

As of November 1995, the following licensed Child Care services were operating in the Emmitsburg and Mount Saint Mary's College area:

a. Five active licensed Family Child Day Care providers, each of which provide child care for up to eight children.

b. The Seton Center on South Seton Avenue is a licensed Child Day Care Center which provides day care services for up to 156 children.

c. C. A Pre-Kindergarten program for 4 to 5 year old children is available through Emmitsburg Elementary. This program has a total capacity of 40 children through morning and afternoon classes.

Child Care Issues

The State of Maryland regulates Child Care as either: Family Child Care or Child Care Centers. The former is home-based and includes up to eight children, with more than six children necessitating a local permit. The latter includes more than eight children and usually includes local zoning approval.

The 1977 Emmitsburg Zoning Ordinance lists "Nursery schools, child day care centers" as permitted uses in the Village Zone, although not in Residential districts. Children's Nursery, Pre-kindergarten, and other private schools are permitted in commercial districts as a special exception use. Such uses are not currently permitted in Office Research or industrial districts. The definition for "Child Care Home" does not encompass the various forms of Child Care currently permitted under Maryland law and should be revised.

It is recommended that the regulation of child care services be eased to permit Family Child Care in Residential districts, subject to State licensing procedures. Also, that Child Care Centers be permitted in the Office Research Industrial (ORI) and Light Industrial districts as an accessory to permitted uses.

CHILD CARE GOALS/POLICIES

GOAL ENCOURAGE THE PROVISION OF FAMILY AND CENTER-BASED CHILD CARE SERVICES TO SERVE EMMITSBURG'S GROWING POPULATION

POLICY Amend the zoning ordinance to permit licensed family care in residential zoning districts.

POLICY Modify the zoning ordinance to allow for child care centers in commercial zoning districts as a principal use.

POLICY Amend the zoning ordinance to permit child care centers in the ORI and Light Industrial zoning districts as an accessory use to permitted uses.

POLICY Encourage the establishment of accessory child care in future employment areas through the use of development incentives.

SENIOR CITIZENS FACILITIES

Existing Conditions and Trends

Residents who are age 65 and above comprise 11.4% of Emmitsburg's total population, whereas the same age group comprises only 9.5% of Frederick County's population. It is projected that the percentage of Emmitsburg residents age 65 and above will increase over the next two decades.

As of 1995, Emmitsburg is home to a number of senior citizen housing facilities, including: St. Catherine's at the St. Joseph Provincial House which currently accommodates 69 residents; Lincoln on the Park which provides housing for over 50 residents; and St. Michael's which is designed to house retired persons from the Sisters of Charity religious order.

A senior citizen community room which accommodates between 60 to 70 persons is located at the Emmitsburg Community Center.

Senior Citizen Problems and Issues

The planning process should take into consideration the needs of Emmitsburg's retired and elderly residents in terms of pedestrian accessibility, emergency services and medical care, transportation, library, and recreational opportunities.

SENIOR CITIZEN GOALS/POLICIES

GOAL PROVIDE A RANGE OF FACILITIES AND SERVICES THAT PROMOTE PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY, EMERGENCY SERVICES. MEDICAL CARE, TRANSPORTATION, LIBRARY, AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMMITSBURG'S RESIDENTS

POLICY Encourage medical facilities to locate in Emmitsburg to serve the needs of Emmitsburg's senior citizens.

POLICY Retain and expand transportation services to serve Emmitsburg's senior population needs for shopping, medical services, and meals.

POLICY Implement a Park and Greenways Plan to link existing and planned community activity areas through open space corridors and pedestrian walkways.

POLICY Expand existing library facilities and increase access to all library services for Emmitsburg's senior population.

POLICY Improve the senior center facility in the Emmitsburg Community Center, as needed.

POLICY Encourage community activities and employment that provide connections between senior citizens and other age groups in Emmitsburg.

PUBLIC WATER

Existing Conditions, Trends, and Projections

Emmitsburg uses both groundwater and surface water from Rainbow Lake and Turkey Creek as the two main sources of water supply. Emmitsburg's water system presently has seven wells, one of which is not being used. These wells have yields ranging from 20-160 gallons per minute (GPM). Emmitsburg also has four surface impoundments located along Turkey Creek. These impoundments are interconnected by 6-inch and 8-inch pipes.

Water flows by gravity from Rainbow Lake and three reservoirs to a water treatment plant. The water treatment plant was built in 1964 and has a total filtration capacity of 450,000 gallons per day (GPD) or 314 GPM. Treated water is held in a 500,000 gallon covered steel water storage tank which is located adjacent to the water treatment plant near the intersection of Hampton Valley and Crystal Fountain Roads.

Emmitsburg maintains a 13 1/2 mile network of water distribution mains. The entire system is gravity fed. Water is distributed from the treatment plant through an 8-inch main along Turkey Creek and a 1 0-inch main along Hampton Valley Road. The "downtown" distribution systems consist of 4-inch, 6-inch, and 8-inch waterlines. An 8-inch line extends the Town's water system east of US 15 and serves the wastewater treatment facility and the currently undeveloped land along the US 15 corridor. A booster pumping station is located west of Frailey Road on West Main Street.

Emmitsburg Public Water System Conditions and Level of Service

The Emmitsburg water system serves an estimated population of 2,400 persons. In addition to existing residential and commercial uses, the Town serves the Federal Emergency Management Academy (with 330-500 students) as well as St. Joseph's Provincial House, and a limited number of properties outside of the Town along MD 140 and Mountain View Road.

In 1995, Emmitsburg reached its full operating water capacity and water production capacity beyond 168,000 GPD was limited through existing sources. Mount Saint Mary's College was consulted regarding available water capacity and possible use by Emmitsburg of additional well capacity at College Mountain.

A preliminary water study also estimates that over 12,000 feet of water distribution lines within the Town are deficient and are candidates for replacement.

Projected Public Water Supply and Demand

The County's base projected 2010 population for Emmitsburg is 2,495 persons. Based upon similar population projections, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources report (March 1995) projects future water demand of 400,000 GPD to 450,000 GPD for Emmitsburg. Current water demands are for 350,000 GPD during the summer months and 250,000 GPD during the winter months.

It should be noted that the 1995 Thurmont Region Plan indicates a substantial areas of potential residential growth within Emmitsburg's 20 Year Growth Limit Line. Under the Regional Plan scenario, a possible population increase of up to 5,600 persons could occur within the Emmitsburg Growth Limit Line. This projection does not include additional potential water usage in the large areas of currently undeveloped commercial and office/industrial land east of US 15.

Emmitsburg should plan to locate additional sources of water and plan for additional treatment and carrying capacity to accommodate planned population and employment growth within the defined Growth Limit Line.

Mount Saint Mary's College Water System

The College owns and operates its own potable water system utilizing groundwater from wells and springs located on College Mountain. Two reservoirs are located on College Mountain, as is the College's water treatment plant. Water is pumped from existing wells on the west side of College Mountain to the water treatment plant. The water treatment plant is located at an elevation of 740 ft. The elevation of the College is between 500 ft. and 650 ft.

Estimated yields of the College's wells are between 70-200 GPM. Provided that the College's wells are not under the influence of surface water, it is estimated that a significant quantity of water from up to two wells can be sold by the College to the Town.

A 6-inch cast iron main, which is presently capped at the College, connects with Emmitsburg's 10-inch water transmission line within Annandale Road. It is believed that the 6-inch main has the potential to serve as a connection between the College and the Town.

Public Water Problems and Issues

Emmitsburg's Public Water System Deficiencies

1. Use of surface water either as a source or to store groundwater resources increases water system costs due to filtering and additional treatment. Use of groundwater sources only can reduce the overall costs of municipal water service.

2. The structural, mechanical, and electrical integrity of the existing water treatment facility is questionable. Loss of one of two treatment filters could force the Town to consider emergency water measures. Backwashing of filters is also a concern to the Maryland Department of the Environment.

3. Undersized water mains have resulted in serious low-pressure problems within portions of the service area.

1. Compliance with provisions of the Safe Water Drinking Act and the Surface Water Treatment Rule may require additional modifications to the water treatment facility.

2. It is estimated that over 12,000 feet of water distribution lines are candidates for replacement.

Emmitsburg will require significant expansion of water supplies and treatment capacity to accommodate projected population and employment growth. In addition, upgrading of some existing water distribution lines may be necessary, as may water quality enhancements to comply with federal and state standards.

To address these concerns, the Town has initiated an Engineering Study to design system improvements and to study ways to link the water systems of the Town and Mount Saint Mary's College.

The public water system is undergoing significant improvement. The water lines have been replaced and looped in Emmit Gardens The water mains on North and South Seton Avenue are to be replaced with larger pipe in the spring of 1998. The water supply system upgrades began in October 1997. Six new 450 ft. wells are to be drilled and a new water filtration plant is being built. Additionally, Rainbow Lake will be removed from the system. Completion of these improvements will place Emmitsburg in conformance with the Maryland State Clean Water Act and provide three times the current number of water taps.

Fire Protection

Water system adequacy is one of the most important factors in fire protection. In 1986, a study of Emmitsburg's water system identified several areas of low water pressure within the Town. This appears to result from deficiencies with some existing water mains. In addition, the water needs of the National Emergency Training Center sometimes involves rapid withdrawals which has the effect of drawing down water pressure and system reserves.

The Insurance Services Offices (i.e., ISO) reviews public fire suppression facilities and assigns a fire insurance rating on a relative scale from 1 to 10, with 10 representing less than the minimum recognized protection. The ISO Public Protection Classification rating for Emmitsburg is 4, as assigned in 1995. Prior to this, Emmitsburg had an ISO Rating of 6.

PUBLIC WATER GOALS/POLICIES

GOAL THE TOWN WILL MAINTAIN A QUALITY PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM TO SERVE RESIDENTS, EXISTING AND FUTURE BUSINESSES, AND INSTITUTIONAL USES IN THE EMMITSBURG COMMUNITY

POLICY All new development within the Town and future annexations will be served by the public water system.

POLICY The water system will be kept adequate to serve existing and planned development.

POLICY New development shall pay a proportionate share for expansion of the Town water system and will not impose a substantially increased tax burden on existing Town residents.

POLICY New development should be phased or delayed until the water system is adequate.

POLICY The Town will actively promote water conservation by residents and other municipal water users. This will include retrofitting residential water fixtures, among other methods, to reduce unnecessary water consumption.

POLICY The Town should consider regional solutions to water system needs.

POLICY Proposed water system improvements should address required "fire flow" needs for Emmitsburg.

POLICY The Town should cooperate with State or County agencies, where necessary, to provide for water system adequacy or to comply with State or federal requirements.

PUBLIC SEWERAGE

Existing Conditions, Trends and Projections

The Existing System

Emmitsburg's current wastewater treatment facility was built in 1986 and became operational in 1990. The wastewater treatment facility has a design capacity of .750 MGD (i.e., million gallons per day) and it is currently permitted for .800 MGD.

The innovative wastewater treatment facility utilizes lagoons, overland flow, chlorination/dechlorination, and post aeration to achieve permit requirements to discharge into Tom's Creek. Plant effluent is used for spray irrigation on three adjacent farm fields during the months of May through September.

The collection system consists of 8-inch, 1 2-inch, and 1 5-inch sanitary sewers. All sewage flows by gravity to a pumping station located along Creamery Road near Flat Run, which boosts the sewage to the wastewater treatment facility on the east side of US 15.

According to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), the Annual Average Flow for 1993 was .515 MGD. This figure is considered to be inflated as a result of excessive inflow and infiltration into Emmitsburg's wastewater treatment system. As such, MDE's Gross Adjusted Flow for 1993 was .154 MGD.

Existing and Projected Demand

The projected year 2000 population of Emmitsburg is 2,273 persons and projected year 2010 population is 2,495 persons.

Under the 1995 Thurmont Region Plan, a build out scenario that includes all areas within the Emmitsburg Growth Limit boundary could result in a population increase of up to 5,600 persons in the immediate Emmitsburg area over twenty years.

Although the two above-referenced population projections are clearly inconsistent, the latter figure points out the build out potential that is possible in the Emmitsburg area over the next two decades.

Public Sewerage Problems and Issues

Excessive Infiltration/Inflow

Flows of .350 MGD were observed at Emmitsburg's wastewater facility on non-rain days during the month of November 1995. Whereas, flows of up to 2.6 MGD were observed at the treatment facility during periods of heavy rain. This indicates that Emmitsburg's sewerage treatment system is plagued by excessive levels of infiltration and/or inflow.

The MDE is working with the Town to achieve compliance with the wastewater facility allocation permit for .800 MGD. This involves an effort to rehabilitate segments of the Town's sewerage system. MDE is also working with the Town to realize effective use of the wastewater treatment plant's spray irrigation system.

Infiltration is defined as: "Water other than wastewater that enters a sewerage system from the ground through such means as defective pipes, pipe joints, connections, or manholes."

Inflow is defined as: "Water other than wastewater that enters a sewerage system from sources such as roof leaders, cellar drains, yard drains, foundation drains, manhole covers, cross connections between storm sewers and sanitary sewers, catch basins, etc.

In order to correct infiltration and inflow problems with Emmitsburg's sewerage system various methods should be evaluated for their cost-effectiveness and applicability in correcting the various types of defects.

PUBLIC SEWERAGE GOALS/POLICIES

GOAL THE TOWN WILL MAINTAIN A QUALITY PUBLIC SEWERAGE SYSTEM TO SERVE RESIDENTS, EXISTING AND FUTURE BUSINESSES, AND INSTITUTIONS OF EMMITSBURG

POLICY All new development within Emmitsburg and all annexed lands will be served by the Town's public sewerage system.

POLICY Cost effective methods to reduce excessive infiltration and inflow should be considered for the publicly owned segments of the municipal sewerage system.

POLICY The Town should actively promote methods to reduce excessive infiltration and inflow by private users of the municipal sewerage system. This should include retrofitting residential and commercial plumbing fixtures, among other methods, to reduce unnecessary infiltration and inflow from non-public sources.

POLICY New development should pay the proportionate share for expansion of the Town's sewerage system and will not impose a substantially increased tax burden on existing Town residents.

POLICY New development should be phased until the sewerage system is adequate.

POLICY The Town should cooperate with State or County agencies, where necessary, to provide for sewerage system adequacy or to comply with State or federal requirements.