Sludge from Rehoboth wastewater plant spills into marsh

An unknown amount of sludge from Rehoboth Beach’s wastewater treatment facility has been released into the ground and the marsh adjacent to the facility. 

According to an Oct. 30 press release from the city, the public works department was completing cleanup of wastewater sludge that overflowed from the city’s wastewater treatment facility sometime between 10 p.m., Oct. 29 and 2 a.m., Oct. 30.

Lynne Coan, city spokesperson, said the overflow was discovered about 8 a.m., Oct. 30. It was the result of intense rainfall and ongoing construction at the treatment facility, she said.

It is unknown how much wastewater was released, but approximately 4,000 gallons were vacuumed up, said Coan. A coating of lime was applied to the impacted ground area around the facility and was to be applied again Oct. 31, she said.

In an email Nov. 1, Coan said hydrated lime is used to disinfect the area by raising the pH to kill bacteria and germs. It also helps minimize any odor, she said.

The city’s notice directs people to a second notice issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. According to the DNREC notice, the health risks are unknown, there are no precautions recommended and the release was not considered extremely hazardous.

The DNREC notice can be found at apps.dnrec.state.de.us/derns/pub/ReleaseDetail.aspx?ReleaseID=2021-3360. 

The sludge spill comes days in advance of a Nov. 4 city commissioner discussion about Sussex County’s offer to purchase a portion of the permitted daily average load allocation – an equivalent of 2 million gallons per day of the city's ocean outfall capacity.

Coan said the spill and the county’s proposal are two different things. The county’s proposal is to send treated effluent straight to the city outfall; it will not process through Rehoboth’s treatment plant, she said.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated.