DOVER, DELAWARE (1/5/2015) A Rehoboth Beach plan to discharge treated wastewater from its sewage plant into the Atlantic Ocean has been approved by state environmental officials.
The plan would eliminate the discharge of treated wastewater into the Lewes & Rehoboth Canal, which has been a major pollution source for the inland bays.
David Small, secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, announced the decision Monday, saying, “This decision will help complete our goal of systematically eliminating all wastewater treatment plant discharges to these special waterways.”
The decision drew criticism from environmentalists.
“The Delaware Chapter is dismayed to learn of the approval of the highly controversial Rehoboth Beach Ocean Outfall,” the Sierra Club posted on its website. “The proposed outfall would pump treated sewage from the Rehoboth Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant directly into the ocean through a 6000-foot by 24-inch diameter pipeline at a depth of 40 feet.”
The group called the environmental impact statement prepared by Rehoboth “deeply flawed.”
The state and city of Rehoboth Beach amended a consent order in Superior Court that had required elimination of canal discharges by the end of 2014, extending that deadline to June 1, 2018.
While Rehoboth had considered alternatives for disposal that involved land application of the treated wastewater, “the lack of agricultural lands in reasonable proximity to the city, lack of interest among landowners for partnering with the city, challenges in coordinating operations of treatment systems between the county and city, and environmental considerations and costs – all led to the conclusion that an ocean outfall was the preferred alternative,” according to a DNREC statement.
The annual cost per user for the ocean outfall was estimated at $635 and at $1,010 for a land system.
Small said the decision includes a requirement that Rehoboth evaluate by 2016 its current stormwater collection system that discharges to the ocean and identify improvements and associated costs that could reduce potential impact to swimmers, surfers and other users.