Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is to enhance the quality of life in our community by protecting and improving Montgomery County's air, water, and land in a sustainable, innovative, inclusive, and industry-leading way while fostering smart growth, a thriving more sustainable economy, and healthy communities.

Budget Overview

The total recommended FY26 Operating Budget for the Department of Environmental Protection is $49,216,826, an increase of $3,523,664 or 7.71 percent from the FY25 Approved Budget of $45,693,162. Personnel Costs comprise 37.00 percent of the budget for 129 full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 134.50 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 63.00 percent of the FY26 budget.

The debt service for the Water Quality Protection Fund is appropriated in the Debt Service Fund and is, therefore, not displayed in this section. To pay for the debt service, a transfer of funds from the Water Quality Protection Fund to the Debt Service Fund of $10,865,220 is required in FY26 for Water Quality Protection Bonds and long-term financing offered by the State of Maryland.

In addition, this department's Capital Improvements Program (CIP) requires Current Revenue funding.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:

• A Greener County
• Effective, Sustainable Government

Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY25 estimates reflect funding based on the FY25 approved budget. The FY26 and FY27 figures are performance targets based on the FY26 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY27.

Initiatives

• Add a new position to work on the Best Management Practice inspection program, focusing on stormwater management structures on private property.
• Add funds to initiate outreach and communications to residents and affected businesses regarding the County's amended bag fee law. Under the revised law, plastic bags may no longer be offered at most retail establishments as of January 1, 2026, and the fee per non-plastic bag increases from $0.05 to $0.10.
• Increase Funding for Clean Water Montgomery Grants to help property owners manage stormwater runoff on their properties and earn credit toward the County's MS4 Permit. Demand for the program continues to exceed available funding.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Established regulations and launched a new electric leaf blower campaign and a related rebate program. Launched a county-wide campaign to inform the public about the ban on the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers and the upcoming ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, and developed a new online application portal to manage rebate program.

• Continued to grow and improve the annual Montgomery County Energy Summit. Attracting 200-300 attendees each year, this educational conference and networking event is DEP's flagship event to educate and engage with the commercial and multifamily building community on sustainable green building and County energy requirements. DEP continues to build the event's reach year-over-year with new partnerships, keynote speakers, and cutting-edge educational opportunities.

• Won a grant for $2.7 million for up to 17 electric vehicle charging stations from the Maryland Department of Transportation through the Carbon Reduction Program. Funding will support the installation of EV charging stations at 17 county-owned locations, including parking garages, Park-N-Ride lots, libraries, and community centers.

Program Descriptions

  Watershed Restoration

The Watershed Restoration Division leads the County's efforts to improve stream health and water quality through the targeted planning, design, construction, inspection, and maintenance of best management practices (BMP) built to manage stormwater runoff. The Watershed Restoration Division supports watershed-based monitoring and reporting to achieve County stream protection goals (Montgomery...

  Energy, Climate, and Compliance

The Energy, Climate, and Compliance Division develops and implements policies and programs focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing the resilience of the County in the face of a changing climate, and enforces County laws and regulations related to air and water pollution, illegal dumping, noise control, and other...

  Administration

The Office of the Deputy Director provides for overall management of departmental programs to ensure safe and efficient operations, including contract administration management for the department, continuity of operations, oversight of operational programs at the County's Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS), and communications and public engagement. The Office provides...