“We are driving the health of the Inland Bays,” said Sussex County engineer Hans Medlarz. “Our ratepayers carry the burden of Inland Bays cleanup.” - From a presentation to Sussex County Council in May
Momentum is growing in Sussex and Delaware for significant water-quality investments that will pay lasting dividends. It’s particularly encouraging that the county is taking a leadership role in cleaning up the waterways of rapidly developing eastern Sussex.
The county’s budget for the 2020 fiscal year, starting July 1, includes $34 million for sewer projects focusing on converting more than 1,500 residential septic systems to central wastewater. That total investment will reach $200 million over the next three years. In addition, $116 million is committed to improve and expand the county’s three wastewater treatment plants in the Inland Bays watershed.
According to Center for the Inland Bays statistics, results from half of the 26 monitoring stations surrounding the bays do not meet standards for nitrogen and phosphorus levels. Aging septic systems contribute significantly. They also contribute bacteria pollution. It’s estimated summer samples from the bays exceed bacteria standards 75 percent of the time.
Conversion of septic systems will bring major improvement. Sussex County Engineer Hans Medlarz told Sussex Council members recently that a project underway to convert 200 homes in the Herring Creek area alone will remove more nitrogen and phosphorus from the Inland Bays daily than the City of Rehoboth Beach discharged into the bays before its ocean outfall system went online.
Estimates indicate more than $725 million in improvements are needed, statewide, over the next five years to address drinking water and wastewater needs, stormwater issues and removal of pollution from waterways. A bill working its way through the General Assembly would allocate $25 million per year over the next three years toward those needs - but even so, that will meet only 10 percent of the need.
Along with Sussex County’s major commitment, these investments will make a dent in a problem that threatens our quality of life and tourism economy.
It’s a start, but we can’t let up.
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Editorials are considered and written by Cape Gazette Editorial Board members, including Publisher Chris Rausch, Editor Jen Ellingsworth, News Editor Nick Roth and reporters Ron MacArthur and Chris Flood.
