CENTREVILLE, Md. (AP) - A coastal county on Maryland's Eastern Shore is leading the state in tackling potential water pollution from faulty septic tanks. But Queen Anne's County officials have also raised a big stink among residents who use septics, with some complaining the county's crackdown has gone too far.

The county commission has passed the first law in Maryland requiring septic pump-outs every five years. Queen Anne's is also the first county to require pricier "bio-nutrient removal" septic systems for new homes located near the water.

Both passed this year with the aim to prevent nitrogen pollution from private homes using faulty septics. But the septic laws have some residents complaining the county government wants to meddle in their private waste without showing that the septic changes will have much effect on the health of the Chesapeake Bay, which forms the county's western border.

"It appears this is a do-good, feel-good law you are foisting upon us," said Jim Flaherty, speaking against the five-year rule at a recent county commission meeting. "Keep your noses out of our business."

Supporters say the county's septic agenda is a no-brainer considering its location.

"It's the right thing to do in terms of protecting our groundwater resources and the bay," said Eric Wargotz, a Republican who is president of the county council and sponsored the five-year septic bill.

Wargotz conceded that the ordinance's requirements could become a burden to homeowners. But with some 11,000 septic systems serving nearly half the county's residents, he believes tougher septic laws are necessary to preserve what makes Queen Anne's popular with retirees and vacationers.

"Most of us have moved here, most of us are not native," Wargotz said. "And we were attracted not only by the rural and agricultural topography, but we were attracted to the water, to the bay. And when you make that kind of decision, you have an obligation to protect it for future generations."

Full Story: http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1394257