Aug. 15, 2013
A spill of sewage into Deep Creek Lake was reported to the Garrett County Commissioners on Tuesday by Jeff Broadwater, assistant director of the Department of Public Utilities (DPU). Rodney Glotfelty, Garrett County health officer, was also on hand to answer questions about the situation that had resulted in water use restrictions at several areas of the lake. These restrictions have since been lifted.
Broadwater reported that DPU personnel discovered on Aug. 9 that the valve allowing flow into the McHenry sewage holding tank had been inadvertently left open and the emergency overflow alarm had failed to function properly. This allowed approximately 36,000 gallons of domestic wastewater to flow into a nearby stream, which in turn flows into Deep Creek Lake at the northwestern end of Marsh Run Cove.
Immediately upon discovery, the valve was shut to prevent further overflow, Broadwater said. DPU informed the Garrett County Health Department, Department of Natural Resources, and the Maryland Department of the Environment of the situation. Approximately 35 warning signs were posted throughout the affected area of the lake, and water samples were collected and taken to the laboratory for immediate testing.
An update was issued yesterday stating that sampling and testing of the water affected by the overflow indicated that bacteria levels had returned to normal. All results were reported to be below the level considered acceptable for “bathing beach water” by the Environmental Protection Agency. Therefore, the restriction on swimming and fishing in the affected area has been lifted.
The emergency holding tank alarm has been fixed, tested, and is working properly. In addition, DPU personnel have been assigned to inspect the holding tank on a routine basis to eliminate the potential of future overflows.
The valve was opened approximately a week before the spill because of a line breakage elsewhere, Broadwater explained. It was located in an area that is not normally used, and an alarm failed to go off because of a loose connection.
The dock in the area of the spill is covered with goose waste, he noted, so it was difficult to differentiate between that and the sewage spill in the samplings.
In the restriction-lifting press release yesterday, the health department personnel advised that universal precautions should always be taken when coming in contact with any recreational water. Every effort should be made not to swallow any water, and bathing or showering after swimming is recommended.
Persons who would like more information or who have questions about the event may call the DPU at 301-334-6983.
More here.
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Jay Ferguson
Who I Am
My name is Jay Ferguson, and I am a lifelong resident of the Deep Creek Lake area. I am also co-owner of the real estate side of Taylor Made. I have been in the real estate business for 21+ years now and I LOVE what I do! I have to say, my career really took off when I co-founded the real estate side of Taylor Made in 2014. Its been an amazing experience, building a real estate company from the ground up and achieving so much so quickly! In August 2016, we purchased Long & Foster Real Estate Deep Creek, where I had started my career in 2000. In 2018, we on-boarded virtually every agent from Coldwell Banker Deep Creek Realty as they closed up shop and the real estate family grew even more! We now have over 40 sales agents and have expanded to West Virginia and Pennsylvania, as well. Taylor Made is the #1 vacation rental company at Deep Creek with over 475 vacation rental homes, and over one hundred thousand yearly visitors. Its amazing what we have accomplished using the principles of honesty, teamwork and customer service!
Personally, my wife Jessica and I enjoy traveling and especially spending time in the outdoors, hiking and exploring the many diverse areas that Garrett County is naturally blessed with. We have raised two wonderful children here, Kayleah (22) and Noah (13). In the summer, we love spending time on the water with friends & family and enjoying the lake life! We are both active in our church, our community & local school activities, and we fill our schedule with plenty of volunteer efforts. I currently serve on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity. I am proud to say that I was named Deep Creek Time’s Favorite ‘Community Champion’ in 2019. I was also named Garrett County Realtor of the Year in 2018-19, as well.
I really enjoy promoting my hometown. I am very proud of the resort area that has developed over my lifetime and look forward to growing the area even more! Deep Creek Lake has been described as ‘The Lake Tahoe of the east', and I think that speaks volumes about the potential to own property here! Deep Creek Lake isn't really a town or city by itself; it's comprised of three towns: Oakland, Swanton & McHenry, Maryland. I am very passionate about my hometown and am impressed with how many people know about it as we travel around the country. Deep Creek Lake is an amazing place to visit and even better place to live! During the pandemic in 2020, our market exploded and more and more people left their primary residence in the city to live here permanently. With distance learning in schools and tele-commuting becoming the ‘norm’, many more people were drawn to the area to ‘live where they love to play’.
Why You Want Me Working for You: In addition to being an owner, I am consistently one of the top-producing agents in the entire area and the Associate Broker of record for Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales. I have 21+ years of experience and I am a problem solver. There aren’t many situations that I have not encountered and I have a strategy for almost every scenario that you may encounter. I
have extensively trained in all areas of real estate & emerging technologies, and also have trained as an appraiser, as well as served as a full-time Broker. I have a strong knowledge of the industry, as well as many trusted local contacts & affiliations that allow me to perform at a very high level and deliver results. I have a great deal of respect for my peers in this industry and have strong working relationships that I would love to put to work for you.
Call me to discuss your situation - I know I can be of great service to you & others you care about!
Honesty. Integrity. Results.
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