Sussex County Council currently has a permit to operate a land treatment system for the agricultural utilization of biosolids under Part III, B., of the Guidance and Regulations Governing the Land Treatment of Wastes.  The operation involves the land treatment of limited quantities of biosolids that have undergone a “Process to Significantly Reduce Pathogens”.  The biosolids and soils at the permitted farms undergo periodic analysis for a list of specific parameters including nutrient content and metals.

The permit authorizes the subsurface application of stabilized biosolids generated at the South Coastal Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility, Wolfe Neck Regional Wastewater Facility, Inland Bays Regional Wastewater Facility, and Piney Neck Regional Wastewater Facility at agronomic rates onto farmland owned by the Sussex County government, known as the Tower Farm, Bunting Farm I and Bunting Farm II. 

The Department’s Guidance and Regulations Governing the Land Treatment of Wastes, Part III, B., allows for such activity pending public notice.

Copies of the draft permit above are available by contacting:

Brian Churchill
Surface Water Discharges Section
89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901
302-739-9946
Brian.Churchill@Delaware.gov

A public hearing on the above application will NOT be held unless the Secretary of DNREC determines that a public hearing is in the public interest or if a written meritorious public hearing request is received by 4:30 p.m. May 1, 2020.  A public hearing request shall be deemed meritorious if it exhibits a familiarity with the application and provides a reasoned statement of the action’s probable impact.