Frederick County’s Largest Division Is Split In Two

Two new division directors are named.

Frederick, Md (KM) There’s been a reorganization of Frederick County’s largest government agency.. The Division of Utilities and Solid Waste Management has been split into two; the Division of Water and Sewer Utilities, and the Division of Solid Waste and Recycling.

The County Council on Tuesday approved the appointments of Mark Schweitzer as Director of Water and Sewer Utilities, and Phil Harris as Director of Solid Waste and Recycling.

These changes go into affect immediately.

The new Division of Water and Sewer Utilities operates 13 water treatment plants, including the largest of these facilities, the New Design Road plant which treats 25-million gallons per day. It also operates 12 wastewater treatment plants including the Ballenger-McKinney Plant which treats 15-million gallons of waste water per day. It has a $66-million annual budget that operates as an enterprise fund which is separate from the County’s general fund.

The Division of Solid Waste and Recycling has seen its $33-million operations grown significantly over the past 20 years. It maintains $83-million in assets, including the landfill on Reichs Ford Road, and a waste transfer station that handled 260,000 tons of trash annually.

Mr. Schweitzer has been Acting Director of the Division of Utilities and Solid Waste Management since the March, 2020 retirement of Kevin Demosky. Mr. Harris has been with the county since 1998, and was named the department head of Solid Waste Management in 2003.