Leonardtown, Md. – St. Mary’s County’s Department of Public Works and Transportation installed a 30,000-gallon water storage tank on September 25, 2025, at the Ridge Firehouse carnival grounds, marking the second phase of a multiyear project to enhance emergency water access for volunteer fire departments. Paired with dry hydrants, the tanks target rural areas without public water, improving response times for the county’s 13 volunteer fire stations handling 3,000 annual calls, including 500 fires.
The initiative, funded through county capital improvements, addresses water scarcity in isolated zones covering 40 percent of St. Mary’s 113,000 residents. The first tank was placed in Callaway’s Porto Bello subdivision in March 2025, with a third planned for the Avenue Firehouse in the 7th District. The Metropolitan Commission fills tanks initially at no cost, easing logistics. “These water tanks and hydrants will provide a critical resource for our fire departments,” said Jennifer Utz, director of Emergency Services. “We’re committed to supporting responders and keeping residents safe.”
Each 10-by-54-foot tank connects to a dry hydrant, allowing engines to draft water directly, cutting delays from shuttling water across the county’s 372 square miles. Sites were chosen with fire department input for optimal access. In rural areas, where wildfires from dry brush pose risks, tanks reduce containment times, vital in a county with 70 percent forest cover. A March 2025 fire in Charlotte Hall, sparked by debris, highlighted the need, damaging a garage and requiring countywide aid.
The project supports volunteers logging 50,000 hours yearly, backed by a $15 million county budget. It aligns with National Fire Protection Association guidelines for rural water points and may lower insurance rates, with St. Mary’s rated Class 4 for fire protection. Maintenance, handled quarterly by Public Works, ensures reliability. Contact Benjamin Clark at 301-475-4200, ext. 3533, or Benjamin.Clark@stmaryscountymd.gov for details.
St. Mary’s, with 17,000 homes on wells, faces rising fire calls as the population nears 120,000 by 2030. The tanks bolster resilience in districts like the 7th, where development meets wildfire-prone forests. The county’s 2050 plan integrates such infrastructure to balance growth and safety, supporting a volunteer-driven system rooted in the 1920s.
