Kent County’s beach front sewer expansion gets financial boost from the feds

Kent County will receive a U.S. Department of Agricultural grant and loan worth a combined $600,000 to help the municipality extend its existing sewer system from Kitts Hummock to Pickering Beach.

U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and U.S. Rep. John Carney (all D-Del) announced the USDA Water and Waste Disposal loan and grant on Monday in Washington, D.C.

The Delaware Bay is a precious economic and environmental resource, and it is vital that we protect and preserve it for generations to come, Carper said. This federal funding will allow Kent County to remove failing individual septic tanks and install a new central sewer system.

The federal aid will help Kent County provide the comprehensive public works system that people rely on, Coons said. The expansion helps Kent County reach about 560 people in 224 homes.

During my time in county government, I learned just how much of a challenge it can be for local governments to maintain a safe and reliable sewer system, he said. Its important, as well, that such systems are built and maintained in a way that respects and protects their surrounding environment, which is why this funding is so vital.

Kent County Department of Public Works Director Hans Medlarz said the expansion from Kitts Hummock to Pickering Beach was a much needed project for the beach communities.

We were lucky to get the additional funding to serve Pickering and it will actually help to reduce the [sewer] rate slightly for Kitts Hummock because we will have additional users on the system, he said.

Kent County applied for this federal funding through a state project priority list and this project ranked very highly on that list, Medlarz said. This will help the fragile ecosystem of the Delaware Bay.

If you have septic system, your water system goes right into the ground water and right into the Bay, he said. Theres no time lag.

Kent County is in the final stages of sewer installation at Kitts Hummock, Medlarz said.

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Kent County’s beach front sewer expansion gets financial boost from the feds