Sussex County is working on repairs to a treated wastewater discharge system from its South Coastal Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility near Bethany Beach.
The County’s Environmental Services division reported the issue to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control on Saturday after discovering a small section of the treated wastewater pipe running to the Atlantic Ocean was damaged and was discharging the treated effluent into a tax ditch near the Assawoman Canal.
The wastewater is treated at the facility and then discharged about a mile off the coast. It is not clear how much wastewater leaked, but officials believe it to be less than 10 percent of the total discharge.
“The County takes very seriously its responsibility to provide the most efficient, economical, and environmentally conscious public wastewater service,” County Administrator Todd F. Lawson said. “Ordinarily, our operation runs seamlessly, treating millions of gallons of waste daily without incident. Unfortunately, however, sometimes technical issues and equipment failures happen. But our staff works diligently to identify and correct any issues that might arise, working alongside our state partners, so that we are compliant and providing the best possible service.”
There are no public health or environmental threats, and no advisories were issued by DNREC or any other state agencies. Preliminary testing of the effluent shows the quality of the discharge is within the county’s state-issued permit for the facility.
Outfalls have been controversial in Sussex County with the Surfrider Foundation and others unsuccessfully attempting to stop a Rehoboth Beach pipe for treated wastewater.
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