DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara and Clean Water Advisory Council announce the next $16 million of clean water infrastructure projects benefiting Delaware communities
DOVER, DE – February 17, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O’Mara and the Clean Water Advisory Council have announced the next $16 million in water infrastructure projects through the Delaware Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), bringing the number of ongoing projects to 41, totaling nearly $100 million. The loans will finance 16 new projects that will protect public health and the environment and are vital to the economic vitality of Delaware communities.
The CWSRF facilitates financing for construction projects for water infrastructure, such as treatment plants and upgrades to existing sewer systems. In addition, green projects – those that control flooding, reduce stormwater runoff and erosion and improve energy efficiency – are funded through the program.
The CWSRF is a multi-million dollar program created by the Delaware General Assembly in 1990 and administered by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Projects are reviewed by the Clean Water Advisory Council, a 12-member committee appointed by Governor Markell, and recommended to DNREC’s Secretary Collin O’Mara for funding.
“Investing nearly $100 million in clean water infrastructure is good for the economy and good for the environment,” said Governor Markell, who was unable to attend today’s event. “It creates local jobs and long term water quality benefits. By creatively leveraging numerous funding streams, we have more clean water projects underway than any time in our state’s history.”
“The Markell Administration is committed to ensuring clean water for all Delawareans,” said Secretary O’Mara. “I am pleased to be here today with the Clean Water Advisory Council and to announce the next $16 million in clean water infrastructure. The projects pay tremendous dividends for Delaware’s economy and environment – by creating an estimated 250 new jobs, providing short and long-term economic growth in our communities and ensuring cleaner, healthier water quality for our precious bays, rivers and streams.”
CWSRF investments are supported by U.S. EPA capitalization grants and State of Delaware matching funds. In 2009 an infusion of $18 million in federal stimulus funds was provided for the CWSRF by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). ARRA funds were leveraged with existing Delaware CWSRF funds of $32.9 million, USDA co-funding of $32.4 million and federal earmark/developer contributions of $1.9 million for a total of $85.7 million in project funding.
“This funding supports vital projects for preserving and improving water quality, drinking water sources and natural habitat in Delaware’s rivers, lakes and streams,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “Clean water is our shared obligation to the people of Delaware, and EPA is proud to continue providing resources that help communities implement these essential wastewater and pollution controls.”
The CWSRF is also able to leverage additional funding for projects from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Business and Community Program.
“Helping to provide safe, clean drinking water and sanitary disposal of wastewater has been the calling of Rural Development for many years,” said Jack Tarburton, USDA Rural Development State Director. “We are pleased to be a partner with the State Delaware in this announcement today to protect our natural resources and local waterways from pollution. In almost every case, our agency works with EPA, State and local officials to offer technical assistance and financing opportunities for water and wastewater projects that otherwise would be out of reach for many local budgets.”
The Clean Water Advisory Council (CWAC) reached a milestone recently – the 100th meeting since the Council was formed in 1990. The Council provides guidance and policy advice and recommends funding for water infrastructure projects.
Since 1995, CWAC Chairman Joseph J. Corrado has been continuously involved in the Council’s activities, except for a short two-year hiatus.
“Almost $300 million in project funding has been awarded since 1990,” said Chairman Corrado.
“The Council is comprised of non-elected members who strive to provide a “clean water” program. The basis of that program includes health, safety and environmental concerns that are part and parcel of the Council’s mandate to assess, plan and recommend funding for clean water projects throughout the state. Since its inception the Council has recommended funding for projects that, on their own, could not have be constructed. The Council has been able to respond to emergency requests for funding to ensure that public health and safety and the environment are protected. The Council is proud of its accomplishments and looks forward to discharging its responsibility in an objective and timely manner.”
The new clean water infrastructure loans announced today will help county and local governments finance eight municipal projects that improve water quality, expand treatment capacity and reduce operating costs at wastewater treatment facilities, which will save ratepayers money.
Kent County Levy Court is awarded a loan of almost $7 million for state-of-the-art upgrades to the county’s Wastewater Treatment Plant near Milford. The upgrades include a new nutrient removal system and the expansion of treatment capacity to meet the needs of a growing county. To cover the total project costs of $18.4 million, this project was able to leverage USDA funding of more than $11 million. In addition 6,000 photovoltaic solar panels were installed with CWSRF financing from last year and are generating more than 2,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year, reducing the plant’s carbon footprint. The solar panels also reduce the plant’s electricity costs by almost 20 percent and will save ratepayers money.
Sussex County Council’s projects include a loan of more than $1 million to finance the design and construction of a new community wastewater collection system and pump stations for the Tanglewood and Oak Acres developments near Millville and a loan of $759,000 for a project that will extend the Beaver Dam Road sewer system near Ocean View.
Other municipal projects include the elimination of septic systems in two mobile home parks – St. Jones Landing near Lebanon and Whispering Pines near Magnolia and the City of Dover’s projects to replace the Lepore Road and Fox Hall pump stations and install the Heatherfield Force Main, reducing operating costs for the city and preventing sewer overflows.
Together, these projects will eliminate 135 individual septic systems and reduce the annual nutrient load entering our bays and streams by almost 1,500 pounds of nitrogen and more than 60 pounds of phosphorus. Excess quantities of these pollutants harm water quality and damage wildlife and fish habitat.
The $16 million in loans also include funding for eight green projects that control flooding, reduce polluted stormwater runoff, provide clean energy for municipalities and promise savings for Delaware residents.
Three communities – Seaford, Dewey Beach and New Castle – are receiving a total of almost $4 million for stormwater projects that will control flooding in the towns. Two projects – at Chestnut Ridge II subdivision near Milford (Kent County Levy Court) and the Greenlawn development in Middletown (Town of Middletown) will reduce stormwater pollution and help protect water quality of the Murderkill River and Drawyer Creek. The Rehoboth Bay Conservancy and South Wood II near Frederica will receive loans totaling more than $800,000 for solar and wind renewable energy systems for their onsite wastewater treatment facilities. The Delaware Center for Horticulture’s loan to install a vegetated green roof, cistern and rain garden at their office headquarters in Wilmington will reduce polluted runoff from entering Brandywine Creek. The Center’s building addition will utilize LEED Standards (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
Detailed List of New Projects: $16 million
Municipal Projects:
Kent County Levy Court
Kent County Levy Court was approved for a CWSRF loan of $6,918,700 for the Kent County Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Nutrient Removal Upgrade that will improve overall nutrient removal capabilities and increase the biological treatment system to a total capacity of 20 MGD. The upgrade will meet discharge limits of 751 lbs. /day of total nitrogen and 62.5 lbs. /day of total phosphorus. The County will provide to DNREC a General Obligation – Recovery Zone Economic Development Bond (RZ-EDB) – to secure the loan. The RZ-EDB will allow the County to receive a 45% federal rebate of the interest paid over the life of the CWSRF loan. The CWAC recommended a 3.609% interest rate for the 20-year CWSRF loan. Financing for the loan will be provided through CWSRF Capitalization Grants and loan repayments. The County also received a USDA loan of more than $11 million for the project.
Total Project Costs: $18,350,810
CWSRF Loan: $6,918,700
USDA Loan: $11,441,901
Sussex County Council
1) Sussex County Council has been approved for a loan of $1,051,000 to finance the design and construction of a wastewater collection and conveyance system from the Tanglewood and Oak Acres developments near Millville. Sixty-four septic systems will be eliminated by this project. Flows will be collected into two pump stations along Camp Barnes Road and will be pumped into an existing force main which conveys flows to and will ultimately be treated by the County’s South Coastal Regional Wastewater Facilities. The CWAC recommended a $3.609% interest rate for the loan.
Total Project Costs: $2,351,000
CWSRF Loan: $1,051,000
Principal Forgiveness: $250,000
2) Sussex County Council has been approved for a loan of $759,000 to finance the design and construction of a wastewater collection and conveyance system extending the Beaver Dam Road Sewer system. Twenty-two septic systems will be eliminated by this project. Flows from the Penn Del. Acres development near Ocean View will be collected along Beaver Dam Road and Central Ave. and conveyed by gravity sewer along Substation Road. All flows from this project will be served through the existing Beaver Dam Regional Pump Station to the Sussex County Wastewater Regional Facility. The CWAC recommended a 3.609% interest rate for the loan.
Total project cost: $759,000
Principal forgiveness: $275,000
CWSRF Loan: $759,000
Whispering Pines Park, Inc.
Whispering Pines Park, Inc. was approved for a loan of $239,012 to install a sewer main and laterals to collect wastewater from 28 dwellings in the Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park community on Walnut Shade Road near Magnolia. The project will eliminate 10 septic systems serving 28 homes by connecting the new sewer system to the Kent County centralized collection system. The CWAC recommended a 3.609% interest rate.
Total Project Costs: $239,012
CWSRF Loan: $239,012
Principal forgiveness: $119,506
St. Jones Landing
St. Jones landing (St. Rockland & Company, LLC) was approved for a loan of $213,869 to install a sewer main and laterals to collect wastewater from 21 dwellings in the St. Jones Landing Mobile Home Park community located off Cypress Branch Road near Lebanon. Twenty-one septic systems will be eliminated from this project. The project will connect the sewer system to the Kent County centralized collection system. The collected waste will be treated at the Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. The CWAC recommended a $3.609% interest rate.
Total Project Costs: $213,860
CWSRF Loan: $213,860
Principal forgiveness: $106,935
City of Dover
City of Dover received three loans totaling $765,060 for pump station upgrades and replacement projects. The CWAC recommended a 3.601% interest rate for the loans.
Fox Hall Pump Station
Replacing the Fox Hall pump station will increase the pump station efficiency, reduce inflow and infiltration effects, and save treatment, maintenance and operation costs.
Project Costs: $375,900
Impact Fees: $150,360
CWSRF Loan: $225,540
Lepore Road Pump Station
Replacing the existing pump station will increase the pump station efficiency, reduce inflow and infiltration effects, and save treatment, maintenance and operation costs.
Project Costs: $402,000
CWSRF Loan: $402,000
Heatherfield Force Main
Replacing the existing pump station will increase the pump station efficiency, reduce inflow and infiltration effects, and save treatment, maintenance and operation costs. The current force main is operating at 125% capacity utilization. Pump failure due to force main overload may result in sewage spillage into waterway or a possible backup in family residences. Replacing the force main will increase capacity and lower the utilization to 75%, reduce operation and maintenance costs, and the likelihood of environmental pollution.
Project Costs: $229,200
Impact Fees: $91,680
CWSRF Loan: $137,520
Green Projects (Green Project Reserve Projects):
City of Seaford
The City of Seaford was approved for a loan of $2,579,004 to address the long-standing flooding problem in the Wilmar Village area. The city will install new stormwater piping, a filtration device fitted to the stormwater pipe outfall at the Nanticoke River to reduce discharges to the river and “green infrastructure” projects, including: a rain garden at the intersection of Stein Highway and Front Street, to provide much needed groundwater recharge in a highly urbanized setting; pervious pavers and bio-retention beds at a church parking lot; plant trees, add a bio-swale and/or bio-retention area along North Street, Collins Ave. and Walker Street to capture and filter runoff. These practices will demonstrate the use of this innovative application to reduce parking lot and street runoff and enhance ground water recharge. The CWAC recommended a 2% interest rate for the loan.
Project Costs: $2,579,004
CWSRF Loan: $2,579,004
Town of Dewey Beach
The Town of Dewey Beach was awarded a CWSRF loan of $690,000 for the design and construction of projects that prevent flooding along Bayard Ave. The project includes flood mitigation earthen beam, replacing the existing broken and undersized storm piping system along Bayard Ave. with new RCP, the installation of a tide gate discharge valve at the end of the new gravity storm water pipe system, and the installation of a pair of relief pumps that will be utilized during storm events and when the water elevation in the bay restricts gravity discharge from the storm water system. This project includes restoring wetlands along Bayard Avenue on the Rehoboth Bay. A flooding study performed by Duffield and Associates in 2009 found that constructing a flood protection earthen berm will protect this low lying area from flood waters from the bay. By replacing the existing malfunctioning and undersized storm water pipes, the discharge into the bay will be increased and the surface flooding potential for storm events will be reduced. The CWAC recommended a 2% interest rate for the loan.
Total Project Costs: $927,675
CWSRF Loan: $927,675
Kent County Levy Court
Kent County Levy Court was approved for a CWSRF loan of $633,000 for the Double Run (Murderkill River) Wetland Creation and Nutrient Reduction Project. The county will re-establish over a one acre of wetlands within and adjacent to the floodplain of Double Run, a tributary to the Murderkill River. In addition, the project will retrofit an existing stormwater management (SWM) pond with sustainable, green technologies best management practices. The existing SWM pond serves the Chestnut Ridge II subdivision and discharges into Double Run.
Kent County is undertaking the project to improve water quality treatment, specifically, nutrient removal capability from the surface water runoff. Through the reduction of nutrients resulting from the project and others in the watershed, the County anticipates a major reduction in operating costs at the Kent County Wastewater Treatment Plant. The CWAC recommended a 2% interest rate for the loan.
Total Project Costs: $633,000
CWSRF Loan: $633,000
Rehoboth Bay Conservancy LLC
Rehoboth Bay Conservancy was approved for a loan of $506,000 for the Rehoboth Bay Conservancy, LLC Solar/Wind project. The project will provide the West Bay Mobile Home Community with renewable energy for its onsite wastewater treatment facility, reducing the current grid-provided electrical usage. The renewable energy system will include ground-mounted photovoltaic panels and wind turbines. The installation of the onsite WWTF resulted in the removal of 180 septic systems from the Rehoboth Bay Inland Watershed. The CWAC recommended a 2% interest rate for the loan.
Total Project Costs: $506,000
CWSRF Loan: $506,000
City of New Castle
City of New Castle was approved for a loan of $445,000 to stabilize the Buttonwood and Broad Dikes earthen flood control structures which were constructed in the 1800’s to provide flood control for sections of the city nearest the Delaware River. The project will clear exposed and unstable sections of the dikes of invasive vegetation, stabilize the structures by grading and filling eroded and settled areas and planting the dikes with native species of grasses. The CWAC has recommended a 2% interest rate for the loan.
Total Project Costs: $445,000
CWSRF Loan: $445,000
Delaware Center for Horticulture
The Delaware Center for Horticulture in Wilmington was approved for a loan of $402,433 for green infrastructure that will reduce stormwater runoff and pollution from entering the Brandywine Creek and improve energy efficiency of the center. The Center will install a green roof, cistern and bio-retention facility. The Center’s building addition will utilize LEED Standards (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The CWAC recommended 2% interest rate for the loan.
Total Project Costs: $402,433
CWSRF Loan: $402,433
South Wood II LLC
South Wood II LLC was approved for a loan of $339,000 to provide renewable energy – ground-mounted photovoltaic (solar) panels and wind turbines – for reducing the current grid-provided electrical usage at the wastewater treatment facility near Frederica. The project will help keep the wastewater treatment costs affordable for users. The project will be undertaken in conjunction with upgrades at the Kent County Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is located on the banks of the Murderkill River. The CWAC recommended a 2% interest rate for the loan.
Total Project Costs: $339,000
CWSRF Loan: $339,000
Town of Middletown
The town of Middletown was approved for a loan of $260,000 to upgrade the existing stormwater management facility in Greenlawn development in Middletown. The project will improve stormwater quality prior to discharge to a tributary of Drawyers Creek. The project includes the conversion of the existing wet pond to a bio-retention facility by re-grading the pond area, revising the outfall structure and installing plantings. The CWAC recommended a 2% interest rate for the loan.
Total Project Costs: $260,000
CWSRF Loan: $260,000
List of CWSRF Active Projects (already in construction or design):
Town of Delmar
Wastewater Treatment Plant headworks upgrade & BNR
CWSRF Loan: $1,293,250
Town of Harrington
Pump Station and Force Main to Kent County Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant
CWSRF Loan: $600,000
SRF Supplemental Loan: $1,992,675
21st CF Grant: $710,000
State and Tribal Grant: $867,150
Town of Georgetown
Georgetown Spray Irrigation System Expansion
CWSRF loan: $2,600,000
Kent County Levy Court
Hartly Area Sanitary Sewer Collection System
21st Century Fund Loan: $3,500,000
21st Century Fund Grant: $6,000,000
UV Disinfection System for Kent County Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility
CWSRF Loan: $2,980,796
Renewable Energy Park for Kent County Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility
CWSRF Loan: $12,546,500.
Includes $1,085,320 ARRA funds
New Castle County
Stormwater Ponds Rehabilitation: 5 projects
CWSRF Loan: $650,000
Sussex County Council
Angola Neck Sanitary Sewer District
CWSRF Loan: $13,000,000 includes $1,500,000 ARRA refinance
21st Century Fund Grant: $1,500,000
Johnson’s Corner Sanitary Sewer District
SRF ARRA Loan: $5,083,986
State and Tribal Grant: $290,000
Woodlands of Millsboro Sanitary Sewer District
SRF ARRA Loan: $640,000
Oak Orchard Sanitary Sewer District Expansion #1
SRF ARRA Loan: $5,641,503
Inland Bays Regional Wastewater Facility Upgrade and Expansion
SRF ARRA Loan: $1,756,227
City of Wilmington
Waste Water Treatment Plant Headworks Upgrade
CWSRF Loan: $2,800,000
State and Tribal Grant: $291,000
Town of Smyrna
Sewer Main Replacements, Pump Station Upgrades and Sewer Main Extensions (5 projects)
CWSRF Loan: $5,975,000
City of Dover
Sewer Rehabilitation Projects: 5 projects
CWSRF Loan: $5,942,481
Town of Millsboro
Beneficial Reuse Water Transmission – Contract E
SRF ARRA loan: $250,000
City of New Castle
Stormwater Management Facility Retrofit, Washington Park Mitigation and Buttonwood Dike Flood Mitigation.
SRF ARRA Loan: $1,322,500
Contact:
Melanie H. Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.
