On Wednesday Sussex County officials said they were investigating and working to remedy a diversion of treated effluent from its South Coastal Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility near Bethany Beach.
The County’s Environmental Services division reported the issue to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control on Saturday, July 19, after discovering a small section of the treated effluent pipe running to the Atlantic Ocean was compromised, discharging into a tax ditch near the Assawoman Canal. The effluent, which is highly sanitized to remove waste particles and other impurities, is treated at the facility and then discharged about a mile off the coast. It is not clear at this point how much has been diverted, but officials believe it to be less than 10 percent of the total effluent discharge.
“The County takes very seriously its responsibility to provide the most efficient, economical, and environmentally conscious public wastewater service,” County Administrator Todd F. Lawson said. “Ordinarily, our operation runs seamlessly, treating millions of gallons of waste daily without incident. Unfortunately, however, sometimes technical issues and equipment failures happen. But our staff works diligently to identify and correct any issues that might arise, working alongside our State partners, so that we are compliant and providing the best possible service.”
Officials said there are no public health or environmental threats as a result of the issue, and no advisories have been issued by DNREC or any other State agencies. Preliminary testing of the effluent shows the quality of the discharge is within the County’s State-issued permit for the facility.
