# § 25-49 Harford County restrictions.

Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference.

## § 25-49 Harford County restrictions.

Balt., Md., Pub. Local Laws § 25-49 (2026)

The powers vested in the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore by this subheading when exercised in Harford County shall be limited and defined as follows:

(1) Upon the completion of a line or lines conveying water from the Susquehanna River to Baltimore under the provisions of the subheading, the City of Baltimore shall make available to the municipalities (including sanitary districts) of Harford County a maximum total of ten million (10,000,000) gallons daily at at least four convenient tapping points in Harford County, the cost of the construction of lines, pumping stations, and pipe connections to and with Baltimore City’s line or lines shall be borne by the municipality in Harford County and the cost of the water to said Harford County municipalities shall be fixed by mutual agreement.
In the event of a disagreement in the selection of tapping points or in fixing the rates to be charged for the water furnished to said municipalities, the question shall be referred to the Public Service Commission of Maryland, or its successor, and the decision of said commission shall be binding upon both Baltimore City and the municipalities of Harford County.
In the event that the ten million (10,000,000) gallons daily guaranteed to the municipalities of Harford County do not supply their full needs and Baltimore City is unable to increase this allotment without substantially improving its own water supply system, the division of said allotment among said municipalities shall be made by the Public Service Commission of Maryland or its successor.

(2) No permanent dams of streams, creeks, or watercourses shall be constructed in Harford County nor shall the courses of streams, creeks, or watercourses be permanently and substantially altered except as hereinafter provided.

(3) For the purposes of regularizing the taking of water from the Susquehanna River, the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore is hereby authorized to construct, maintain and operate a dam or reservoir on Bucks Branch or Elbow Branch, which are tributaries of Deer Creek.

(4) The powers of condemnation granted under this subheading shall not be exercised to take any existing public graveyard in Harford County.  The strip of land acquired for the construction of the line or lines from the pumping station shall not exceed sixty (60) feet in width, together with an additional twenty-five (25) feet on each side of said strip as a temporary easement during the period of construction.

(5) Nothing herein shall be construed to impair or limit the right of any municipality in Harford County to take water from the Susquehanna River by independent means under proper legal authority.

(6) That in the event it can be scientifically demonstrated that the taking of water from the pool by the City of Baltimore would substantially increase the salinity of the water at the Havre de Grace intake to the point where the water would be unpalatable, then the City would cease taking the water during that period.

(7) That the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and its representatives shall consult with the County Commissioners of Harford County, and the Harford County Planning and Zoning Commission, as to the route or routes to be followed by the water pipeline across Harford County, and the location of other appurtenant facilities in Harford County in connection with the water supply system.

(8) The route of the line or lines to be constructed shall follow generally those described as route No. 1 and No. 2 in a report to the City of Baltimore on future sources of water supply and appurtenant problems by the Board of Advisory Engineers on future water supply dated December 15, 1953.