Lewes wastewater facility back online
The Lewes wastewater treatment facility is back online and has resumed normal treatment of effluent.
Tidewater Utilities Inc., operator of the facility, informed the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control late Dec. 28 that treatment membranes contaminated during an automated backwashing process which caused the malfunction had been replaced. Tidewater had been bypassing the system and discharging partially treated effluent for nine days into the marsh adjacent to the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal.
Installation of the new and highly-effective treatment membranes enabled the Lewes facility to treat incoming flow as normal and discontinue bypass pumping. During the bypass operation, DNREC staff was onsite at the plant directing Tidewater Utilities’ sampling of the partially treated effluent for bacteria levels and monitoring the sampling for possible health risks.
When the system malfunctioned and the bypass operation began, DNREC also ordered immediate closure of shellfish harvest areas in the lower Delaware Bay due to health concerns from partially treated effluent. The closure of shellfish harvest areas will continue for a 21-day period from the time the bypass situation ended and Lewes wastewater treatment plant’s effluent met required discharge standards. The closure ordered by DNREC is based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines under the National Shellfish Sanitation Program, and provides adequate public health protection for pathogens of concern, including viruses. The closure applies only to clams, oysters and mussels – crabs, conch and fish species are not affected.
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Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and handling page layout, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
