MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT WATER AND SCIENCE ADMINISTRATION NOTICE OF TENTATIVE DETERMINATION Wicomico County Application for State Discharge Permit 24DP2085, NPDES Permit MD0060348: Commissioners, Town of Pittsville, P.O. Box Drawer A, 7505 Gumboro Road, Pittsville, MD 21850 applied for a renewal permit to discharge an average of 0.115 million gallons per day (MGD) of domestic wastewater from the Town of Pittsville Wastewater Treatment Plant located on 34751 Poplar Neck Road, Pittsville, MD 21850, into Aydelotte Branch which flows into Burnt Mill Branch that is designated as Use-I waters protected for water contact recreation and nontidal warmwater aquatic life. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is proposing to reissue the discharge permit with the following effluent limitations: BOD5, 7.0 mg/l maximum monthly average, 11 mg/l maximum weekly average from May 1 through September 30, 30 mg/l maximum monthly average, 45 mg/l maximum weekly average from October 1 through April 30; total suspended solids, 30 mg/l maximum monthly average, 45 mg/l maximum weekly average; BOD5 and TSS Percent Removed, 85 % minimum monthly average; total kjedahl nitrogen, 3.0 mg/l maximum monthly average, 4.5 mg/l maximum weekly average from May 1 through September 30; total ammonia nitrogen as N (Interim Limits), 7.2 mg/l maximum monthly average from October 1 through April 30, and total ammonia nitrogen as N (Final Limits), 1.4 mg/l maximum monthly average, 5.6 mg/l maximum daily average from May 1 through September 30, 3.5 mg/l maximum monthly average, 12 mg/l maximum daily average from October 1 through April 30 ; E.coli, 126 MPN/100 ml maximum monthly geometric mean value ;dissolved oxygen, 5.0 mg/l minimum at any time (if sampled once daily); 6.0 mg/l minimum daily average with a 5.0 mg/l minimum at any time (if sampled more than once daily); pH maintained between 6.5 and 8.5. Effluent treated with chlorine or any chlorine-containing compound shall be dechlorinated to a non-detectable level. Load goals of 4,733 lbs./year for Total Nitrogen and 788 lbs./year for Total Phosphorus are included in the permit. This permit is in conformance with the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for bacteria, sediments and total phosphorus for the lower and Upper Pocomoke River approved by EPA, as well as the Chesapeake Bay TMDLs for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sediment, established on December 29, 2010. The effluent limits are established to ensure compliance with State water quality standards. The minimum monitoring and reporting requirements for effluent and raw wastewater influent are mandated to ensure compliance with permit requirements. Per MD Environmental Article § 1–602(a)(2), an EJ score was calculated for this facility. The EJ Score is [33.50]. This score is calculated based on the following factors: Pollution Burden Exposure Percentile, Pollution Burden Environmental Effects Percentile, and Sensitive Population Percentile. For more information on how the score was calculated, launch the MDEnviroScreen tool from this website - https://mdewwp.page.link/EJ. Copies of the application, draft permit, and Summary Report & Fact Sheet (SRFS) are available on the Department’s Wastewater Permits Interactive Search Portal at https://mdewwp.page.link/WWPPortal. Search for “24DP2085 under 'State Num” and click on the “More Info” button for the permit entry to generate a list of available documents for download. If a written request is received by Febuary 3, 2026, a public hearing on the tentative determination for this application can be scheduled. The request should be sent to the Maryland Department of the Environment, Water and Science Administration, 1800 Washington Blvd., Baltimore, Maryland 21230-1708, Attn.: Yen-Der Cheng, Chief, Municipal Permits Division and must include the name, address and telephone number (home and work) of the person making the request, the name of any other party whom the person making the request may represent, and the name of the facility and permit number. Failure to request a hearing by Febuary 3, 2026will constitute a waiver of the right to a public hearing on the tentative determination for this permit. Written comments concerning the tentative determination will be considered in the preparation of a final determination if submitted to the Department, to the attention of Yen-Der Cheng at the above address, on or before Febuary 13, 2026. Any hearing-impaired person who requests a hearing may request an interpreter at the hearing by contacting Mr. Cheng at (410) 537-3363 or 1-800-633-6101, or by written request to the above address at least ten working days prior to the scheduled hearing date. Information supporting the tentative determination, including the draft permit and fact sheet, may be reviewed by contacting Mr. Cheng at the above telephone number to make an appointment or by written request to Mr. Cheng at the above address. Copies of documents may be obtained at a cost of $0.36 per page.