Public Works

The Town of Millington offers its residents public water and sewer services. These public services are also available to residents of Sandfield and residents west and north of Millington. The water facility is located next to the Millington Elementary School on Sassafras Street, and the sewer facility is located on the Queen Anne's County side of Millington on Sassafras Street.

The Town of Millington contracts with Susquehanna Operational Services to maintain and operate both facilities. Our water system and sewer system are tested on a regular basis and governed by federal and state regulations.

The Annual Drinking Water Quality Report is published each year to inform the public of the quality of the drinking water. The current report reflects that the Town's water system meets all federal and state requirements for safe drinking water. 

In the event of a leak or water/sewer problem, contact Susquehanna Operational Services at 1-443-252-1410 or 443-406-5583. For meter reading and billing questions contact Millington Town Office at 410-928-3880.

• Electronic Version of your Utility Bill:
  In order to receive your utility bill electronically through email, contact the Town Office to set up this option.  Our email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Trash and Recycling Pick up is on Thursday.

Utilities Contact Information

Susquehanna Operational Services
Water/Sewer Issues
(443) 252-1410

Delmarva Power
Electric
(800) 375-7117
http://www.delmarva.com

Breezeline
TV/Phone/Internet
(844) 586-1997 
https://www.breezeline.com/

AT&T/DirecTV
TV/Phone/Internet
(844) 296-8537
http://www.attinternetservice.com/directv/

DISH
TV
(855) 615-0531
http://www.dish.com/availability/md/millington

Dish Latino: http://latino.usdish.com/paquetes

 WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT CONCERN - FEBRUARY 2022

The wastewater treatment plant recently removed and repaired a clogged pump due to rags and paper products disposed into our system.  It’s not just paper towels or facial tissues that can cause costly repairs and havoc with a system. There’s actually a wide range of other items and materials that have no business being sent down your toilet. These include:

• Disposable wet wipes. In spite of their name, these wet wipes aren’t exactly meant to go down your toilet. Like paper towels, wet wipes are simply unable to break down properly, leaving behind fiber scraps that could clog your toilet.
• Cat litter. Clay cat litter tends to expand when exposed to large quantities of water, so flushing litter could quickly lead to a clogged toilet.
• Sanitary napkins. Panty liners, pads, tampons, and the like can swell several times their size when exposed to water, so they are unsuitable for flushing.
• Disposable gloves and other latex products. These products aren’t biodegradable, meaning they can persist inside your home septic or municipal sewer system for long periods of time.
• Drain cleaner. Chemical drain cleaners may be able to break up certain clogs, but they can also eat away at metal or cast iron pipes, leading to weaker plumbing.

These types of repairs due to negligence by the citizens, increase cost to maintain the system; which is considered during budget time as the Town Council evaluates costs and rate increases.

“ONLY RAIN IN THE DRAIN”

The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 requires the reduction of the amount of stormwater pollution conveyed into public waters. The Clear Water Act was established to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters”. Per reporting by EPA, the Upper Chester River is considered to be “impaired” due to degraded aquatic habitat and murky water.

There are ways to assist with these issues and increase the rating of the Upper Chester River. These include but are not limited to not removing streamside vegetation; avoid filling stream pools, wetlands, or other waters; keep natural shorelines intact; leave some rocks, logs, or native aquatic plants as cover for fish and wildlife, and route rainwater runoff to areas where it can soak in rather than runoff directly into the River. As part of the Town’s program to maintain compliance with these two acts the Town:

• sweeps the streets;
• works with other Federal, State, and local agencies to eliminate
• the discharge of pollutants.
• works with Federal, State, and local agencies to eliminate erosion and
• sediment runoff issues;
• inspects and clean storm drains;
• provides park maintenance; and
• trash management at public buildings.

Unfortunately, the Town is NOT in compliance with this Act, one reason is the continual blowing of grass and leaves into the streets by property owners. Both federal and state guidelines designate grass and leaves as illegal pollutants. Fine particles and pollutants from run-off, atmospheric deposition, vehicle emissions, breakup of ground surface and impervious surface materials, littering, and sanding can accumulate in between rainfall events on lawns, sidewalks, and streets. This results in an accumulation of pollutants such as sediment, nutrients, metals, hydrocarbons, bacteria, pesticides, trash, and other toxic chemicals entering the Town’s storm drains which empty into the Upper Chester River.

Council asks that everyone do their part to help the Town improve the rating of the Upper Chester River. Bag the excess grass, create a compost system, or use as mulch in your yard; do not blow it out in the streets

Simple Water Conservation Steps

Statistics show that American use an average of 400+ million gallons of water per day; most of which is wasted due to carelessness.

• a drippy faucet that leaks 1 drop per second wastes 2,000+ gallons per year
• a running toilet wastes 200 gallons per day
• an average shower uses 20-30 gallons of water each usage
• water sprinkler will use 300 gallons of water per hour
• cut daily shower time by 5 minutes to save 9,000 gallons of water per year
• turn off water while brushing teeth to save 6 gallons per day
• washing your vehicle for 10 minutes with an unrestricted hose will use 80 gallons of water per wash

Indoor tips to conserve

• turn faucets off when not in use; for example turn, faucet off while brushing teeth
• repair all leaking faucets, pipes, and toilets
• defrost frozen food in refrigerator or microwaves instead of running hot water over it
• dispose of toxic chemicals properly; do not pour them down the drain
• install water saving fixtures (low consumption toilets, efficient faucets and showerheads)
• do not throw trash into toilet; which may result in unnecessary flushing
• take a quick shower instead of a bath (savings of 20 gallons of water)
• clean vegetables in a sink or pan partially filled with water rather than running the tap
• re-use water from washing vegetables to water plants
• insulate water pipes
• instead of waiting for water to be cold enough to drink; keep water in refrigerator
• compost food scraps or dispose of them in the garbage instead of using disposal
• cut back on amount of rinsing before loading dishwasher

Outdoor tips to conserve

• water lawn early in the morning or at night to avoid excess evaporation
• cover swimming pools to minimize the loss of water through evaporation
• sweep sidewalks or driveways instead of using a hose
• install efficient irrigation devices that can be adjusted according to the lawn's needs
• do not leave sprinklers or hoses on unattended
• maintain a lawn height of 2.5 to 3 inches to help protect the roots from heat stress and reduce the loss of moisture to evaporation
• water in several short sessions versus one long session - this allows the ground to absorb the water
• check sprinkler system and hoses periodically for leaks and keep nozzle heads in good repair
• make sure sprinkler is placed to only water the lawn not the sidewalk and street
• avoid sprinklers that spray a fine mist, which increases evaporation
• wash vehicle with a bucket of soapy water and use a nozzle to stop the flow of water between rinsing
• consider washing vehicle on the lawn if possible to reduce runoff

Do's and Dont's:  What can you Pour Down the Drain?

We have recently experienced issues with the sewer main blocked or backing up into the street or into someone's property.  This is due to unusually large amounts of grease coming through the system, coagulating, and blocking the passage of  the normal flow or items that are not biodegradable.  Knowing what is safe to flush or pour in the drain can save the property owner and the Town money (costs that trigger an increase in the rate to cover an increase in maintainance costs) and headaches.  The following is a guide of what not to pour down the drain and how to deal with common household items properly.  While none of these should instantaneously clog a sink or toilet, over time these items will significantly hurt your plumbing systems and pipes.

• Grease - Grease along with fats and oils are substances that cause plumbing issues.   As these are binding agents once they cool down, they will rapidly clog pipes and drains.  Put these in jars or cans to cool before disposing of them in the trash.  Wipe the pan before washing.
• Expanding Foods - We're talking about rice, pasta, and oatmeal.  Most starchy or grainy solids that puff up will cause blockages if they are poured down the drain.  Scraping plates into the trash before rinsing is a must.
• Coffee Grounds - One of the most common cuases of sink blockages, coffee grounds are harsh on pipes and do not get properly ground by garbage disposals.
• Flour - Think of the consistency of bread dough, it only takes a mixture of flour and water to clog a sink; so avoid a clog by not putting flour down the drain.
• Eggshells - Another seemingly harmless bi-product like coffee grounds, these are not easily dispopsed of and can get stuck in viscous pockets of other difficult to drain substances.
• Fibrous Fruits and Veggies - Produce like pumpkin, corn husks, and other tough-shelled fruits and veggies can easily clog your drains.  Trash or compost instead.
• Paint - Paint can immediately cause serious drainage issues and subsequent health risks.  There are reasons why there are hazardous waste labels on most paints, so avoid rinsing them down your drain.
• Paper Products - Specifically avoid anything non-tiolet paper as any excess of fibrous paper can cause a clog.  Items like paper towels, wipes, sanitary products, or packaging should never be put down a drain, they will not leave without professional assistance.
• Harsh Cleaning Products - These products might not necessarily clog your sinks and drains, but they can be hazardous to your health and eat away at your pipes.  Check with specific labels on products to see how best to dispose of them.
• Flushable Products - Feminine hygiene products, baby wipes, and other "flushable" products can all put significant strain on your drain and cause blockages in the sewer system as well as clog and disable pumps at the plant.  
• Medication - Another seemingly innocuous set of products in terms of clogging, medication is a leading source of contaminating water supplies.  Be courteous to your own household as well as others by not flushing or draining unused medication.   One way to dispose of unused medication is to drop it off at the local Sheriff's Office or "Drug Drop Off" at the local Health Department; another disposal method is to fill medicine bottle with water, replace lid, and shake until a paste is formed, then discard in trash.

There are dozens of other common products that can harm pipes - we always recommend thinking about  how a material will react to confined spaces and water before putting it down a drain.

Prevent Frozen Pipes