About Us

CWA’s headquarters and offices are at 11560 H.G. Trueman Road in Lusby, MD 20657. These offices are located on a large parcel within the Lusby Town Center.

In 1960 Chesapeake Ranch Water Company was created by the subdivision developers as an enterprise operation.  After a bid to have the County take the system over was rejected, the subscribing home owners of the subdivisions petitioned the PSC to purchase the water supply system and reorganize it as a nonprofit cooperative.  After the ownership of the system was transferred to the subscribers in 1979, the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Maryland recognized the locally elected Board of Directors of CWA as the controlling authority for the system. This removed CWA from the PSC domain, and transferred all utility business regulatory control of the corporation to the elected Board of Directors of CWA. 

Quality and quantity of water delivered is regulated by the Maryland Department of Environment and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Because “Water Company” in the inherited title incorrectly implies that the system is a private proprietorship and is operated for profit, the organization has adopted the name Chesapeake Water Association as a dba which is more descriptive of the non-profit cooperative corporate structure. However, “Chesapeake Ranch Water Company” remains the corporate name for purposes of legal documentation.

CWA owns and operates the pumping, treatment, storage, and distribution systems for potable drinking water and fire protection for approximately 4000 homes and businesses in Lusby, Md. CWA operates as a fully functioning public community water supply system for nearly 10,000 people. The system contains two elevated storage tanks with combined system storage of 750,000 gallons, more than 70 miles of distribution lines, and 4 deep groundwater wells. The system is 100% metered and each meter assembly equipped with modern backflow prevention.

The physical plant has a book value of approximately $7,000,000 and a market value of between $18,000,000 and $30,000,000. These estimated valuations are based on sales and transfers of comparable systems in nearby states.

"In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, familial status, sexual orientation, and reprisal (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to:

 USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410
Washington, DC  20250-9410

Or call toll-free at (866)632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal relay).  USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."