Artesian anticipates new Milton plant going online in early 2026
Artesian Wastewater is near the finish line of its new Milton wastewater treatment plant with company officials expecting to have the new plant up and running in the first quarter of 2026.
Dave Spacht, CEO of Artesian Wastewater, said construction of the new wastewater plant at Artesian’s Sussex Regional Recharge Facility on Route 30 and infrastructure work within Milton have been working in tandem. Most of the force main to direct flow to the new plant has been installed, he said. Additional work to be done includes repaving Tilney Street, installing the new pump at the Chandler Street pump station and preparing the Front Street pump station to relay flow to the new lines.
The road to a new wastewater treatment plant for Milton has been long for the town and for Artesian, which took control of Milton’s wastewater operations in December 2022, when the company purchased Tidewater Environmental Services. Tidewater had been the town’s wastewater contractor since 2007, and as far back as then, it had been the desire of both town and contractor to move the town’s wastewater treatment off the Broadkill River. At one point, plans were to build a new treatment plant at a 10-acre site on Sam Lucas Road, but that changed when Artesian took over, and that site is now planned for a new public works facility.
Even before Artesian took on Milton’s wastewater, the company was planning to build a new plant at the Sussex Regional Recharge Facility, a 1,700-acre complex of spray irrigation fields, a lagoon and the plant, which will be capable of handling up to 625,000 gallons per day.
Spacht said at this point, the new plant is nearing completion, possibly by the end of December.
As for the town’s plant on Front Street, the plan has always been for it to be decommissioned and at least partially torn down, with the land reverting back to the town. Spacht said at this point, Artesian is working with the town to determine the next steps. Town officials have had early discussions on what to do with the plant site, with some talk of possibly reusing or reconfiguring some of the structures as part of a public park.
Ryan Mavity covers Milton and the court system. He is married to Rachel Swick Mavity and has two kids, Alex and Jane. Ryan started with the Cape Gazette all the way back in February 2007, previously covering the City of Rehoboth Beach. A native of Easton, Md. and graduate of Towson University, Ryan enjoys watching the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals and Baltimore Orioles in his spare time.
