SEWER 

"The County, in cooperation with municipal contract users, has an obligation to its citizens to provide an adequate, functional wastewater conveyance system and treatment facility, operated in an environmentally sound and economically feasible manner, which will accommodate future growth and development."  One of the Kent County Levy Court's Goals for the 1996 Comprehensive Plan Update, still valid in this 2002 Comprehensive Plan Update.   

Kent County Wastewater System   

The Kent County Regional Wastewater System was initiated in 1973.  The system was designed to provide a single treatment facility to serve the majority of the County, to provide a trunk collection system to collect sewage from the many subsystems in existence and planned for, and to offer the opportunity for a sewage disposal system to incorporated and unincorporated areas of the County not having such systems.  The regional system includes trunk force mains running the length of the County from Smyrna to Milford, five major (mainline) pumping stations, and a regional treatment facility located in Frederica.  The transmission mains were designed to accommodate 20 years of population growth, although the treatment facility was designed for expansion.   

At its inception, the treatment facility could receive and treat an average daily flow of 10 million gallons per day.  In 1970, the population of Kent County, according to U.S. Census figures, was 81,892 persons; by 1980, that figure had grown to 98,219 persons, an increase of 19.9% over the ten year period.  As a result of such a relatively large shift in population and in anticipation of additional future growth, from 1982 to 1984 the capacity of the treatment facility was increased to its present level of receiving and treating an average daily flow of 15 million gallons per day, an increase in capacity of 50%.  The present conveyance system consists of 45 miles of force mains ranging in size from 4-48 inches in diameter and 48 pumping and lift stations. 

The County manages the collection, conveyance, and treatment of wastewater through a system of sewer districts encompassing a combination of smaller municipalities that either lack their own sewer authorities or had collection and treatment facilities prior to the initiation of the county system, and major residential subdivisions in the unincorporated areas of the County.  Contract users of the system include the municipalities of Smyrna, Clayton, Dover, Camden, Wyoming, and Milford, and independent industrial, institutional, and residential users.     

Present County policy on provision of service is to provide that service in areas of the growth zone wherever economically feasible.  Areas outside the growth zone are considered for service when there are environmental and health concerns for existing development.  The procedure for consideration involves a formal request to the Levy Court (the governing body), an initial feasibility study, a detailed feasibility study, formation of a sanitary district, and the planning, design, and construction of the system.  Improvements to existing pump stations or the construction of new ones, improvements to the existing treatment facility, and annual operation and maintenance costs, make the provision, and extension, of wastewater treatment service a costly endeavor.  There are currently 28 sanitary sewer districts in Kent County.   

During 2000, CABE Associates, Inc. worked with the County to revise its Long Range Wastewater Master Plan.  The previous plan had been completed in February 1993 by Whitman, Requardt and Associates, Consulting Engineers.  The Plan represents the culmination of investigative engineering to identify, evaluate, and suggest wastewater alternatives and improvements to be made to the existing Kent County wastewater system in order to meet the growth of the County through the year 2020.  Properly planning wastewater system improvements promotes orderly growth.  The Long Range Wastewater Master Plan concludes that the existing wastewater system would meet the needs of County residents, businesses, and industry (in existing and proposed future service areas) through the year 2020, provided recommended improvements to the pumping stations, pipelines, and treatment plant are implemented.  These recommended improvements will have the effect of optimizing the efficiency and increasing the capacity of the existing system.   The Plan should be adopted during 2001. 

Septic Systems   

Areas not on the County's sewer system or the City of Harrington’s sewer system (which includes Farmington) have on-site wastewater treatment and disposal systems.  In most cases, residences include a septic tank to remove solids and grease and a subsurface drainfield to dispose of septic tank effluent.  The design and performance of residential on-site systems is dependent on soil types and operating conditions.  Competent system installation and periodic maintenance are also necessary to ensure proper functioning and prevent groundwater contamination.   

Since July 1985, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the state agency responsible for the issuance of septic system permits, has had in effect revised regulations governing the design, installation, and operation of on-site wastewater treatment and disposal systems.  Under these regulations, more stringent performance measures are applied as conditions to permit issuance.  One such safeguard is sizing individual lots to include a 100% replacement area for the subsurface disposal system.  The replacement area would be tested along with the primary area to determine feasibility and size, and would be restricted from uses other than on-site disposal.   

Because of the unsuitability of soils in certain parts of the County, problems with rising water tables, and the frequency rate for failing septic systems, DNREC has tried  (with limited success) to encourage the use of community septic systems in areas not served by the County's sewer system, provided that the area can support such a system.  The Kent County Regional Planning Commission and Levy Court are hesitant to endorse such a concept because of their concern over ownership and maintenance of a community septic system, as well as who would be liable for replacing the community septic system should it fail.  The issue of community septic systems has become a major concern of developers who want to develop in areas of the County not presently served by the County's sewer system.     

Wastewater Facilities Advisory Council   

In 1994, the Wastewater Facilities Advisory Council was established.  The Council is working to address wastewater needs important to Delaware's well being including the State's environmental and public health.  The Council is charged with developing: 

a.       A long-term wastewater facilities funding plan;

b.      Long-term wastewater facilities financing strategies;

c.       Wastewater funding standards and procedures; and

d.      A statewide wastewater needs assessment. 

The Wastewater Facilities Advisory Council initiated a comprehensive, statewide wastewater facilities assessment in an effort to help identify wastewater facilities needs in sewered and unsewered communities, the costs of needed wastewater facilities, and affordability to wastewater facilities users.  Although the Assessment Findings are preliminary, the possible costs associated with maintaining existing wastewater facilities as well as providing additional wastewater facilities are staggering.  

The Wastewater Facilities Advisory Council will continue to assess Delaware's wastewater needs by:   

a.       Completing the final Comprehensive Statewide Wastewater Facilities Assessment;

b.      Developing a long-term wastewater facilities funding plan;

c.       Developing a long-term wastewater facility financing strategy; and

d.      Updating the Comprehensive Statewide Wastewater Facilities Assessment, as necessary, to include consideration of identified needs of private and State-owned wastewater facilities.

 

Recommendations 

·        Implement, where appropriate and economically feasible, recommended improvements to the pumping stations, pipelines, and treatment plant of the County's wastewater system, as outlined in the Long Range Wastewater Master Plan revised 2001. 

·        Work with the Wastewater Facilities Advisory Council and DNREC to identify and meet the wastewater needs of the currently sewered and unsewered communities in the County.