October 11th, 2025 by WCBC Radio

In a united effort to address the ongoing water crisis affecting several Allegany County communities, The Force of Four — a coalition of county commissioners, members of the MD General Assembly, US Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and US Representative April McClain Delaney and the residents of the rural Appalachian Allegany County Communities of Bel Air, Pinto, Glen Oaks, and Highland Estates — will hold a public meeting on Thursday, October 16, at 5:00 p.m. at the Allegany County Fairgrounds Multipurpose Building.

Over 1,200 residents requested the meeting. The families in these communities are among the poorest in the state and are forced to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars each month for water. While these residents technically have access to water, the costs are among the highest in the nation, making it unaffordable. They remain without public water service — a benefit enjoyed by roughly 85% of Allegany County residents. The goal of this meeting is to bring all levels of leadership and the community together to find a fair, long-term, and affordable solution, such as public water, for these communities.
“We expect our local, state, and federal elected leadership to recognize that this is a crisis affecting over a thousand people. This is an opportunity for everyone — elected county, state, and federal leaders and the people — to stand together and fight for the survival of these communities,” said a community spokesperson. “Access to affordable, public water should not be a privilege. It’s a basic right. These communities are forced to pay the highest water rates in the state, and among the highest in the nation, for life-sustaining water. These communities are facing an existential crisis; couples in their eighties are forced to reuse bath water, families are going to nearby streams with buckets for water to flush their toilets, and some residents have developed skin conditions and rashes because they cannot afford to shower more than once or twice a week.” Families, neighbors, and concerned citizens are urged to attend, participate, and share their stories.