Lewes BPW, county revise wastewater agreement

Sussex County can now send up to 400,000 gallons of wastewater per day to the Lewes Board of Public Works’ treatment facility.

The Lewes BPW board approved the revised agreement Jan. 23, while Sussex County Council approved it at its Jan. 8 meeting.

BPW General Manager Darrin Gordon said the revised agreement allows the county to immediately start sending more wastewater to Lewes. The previous agreement allowed the county to increase its flow over time, eventually topping off at 400,000 gallons. The agreement also allows the county to send up to 100,000 gallons per day to Lewes during the summer, an increase from the previous 75,000 gallons. 

Gordon said the Lewes plant has more than enough capacity to handle the county’s effluent and any future development within the area the BPW is permitted to serve.

The maximum capacity at the Howard Seymour Water Reclamation Plant on American Legion Road is 1.5 million gallons per day. Prior to the agreement with Sussex County, usage averaged 850,000 gallons per day in the summer and about 600,000 gallons per day in the off-season months.

With the county’s effluent added, the plant could process about 1 million gallons daily year round, about 65 percent of its total capacity, Gordon said.

The plant will soon be upgraded with new micro filters, a major capital expense that is budgeted for in upcoming fiscal years. Once complete, Gordon said, he expects the plant’s maximum capacity to increase by 200,000 to 300,000 gallons.

The BPW will bill the county $125,000 for impact fees and ready-to-serve charges as a result of the changes to the agreement. The county is also billed $2.40 per 1,000 gallons.

Gordon said the county’s rate is lower than the rate BPW customers pay because the BPW does not operate or maintain the county’s system.

Sussex County sprays treated wastewater on fields at the Wolfe Neck Regional Wastewater Facility in Rehoboth and the Inland Bays Regional Wastewater Facility in Millsboro, where it soaks into the ground. When the ground is wet or frozen, spraying is not permitted because the soil can't soak up the treated effluent.

County engineer Hans Medlarz said the agreement provides more flexibility for the county and helps the Lewes BPW's operational costs. “It's a win-win for both parties,” he said.

Council President Mike Vincent said the agreement takes pressure off the Wolfe Neck treatment plant, which services unincorporated lands around Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.