Rehoboth considering water connection with Tidewater
In an effort to improve the resilience of the city’s water system, Rehoboth Beach officials are considering the installation of a water connection with Tidewater Utilities near one of its wells off Warrington Road.
Headquartered in Dover, Tidewater Utilities, a subsidiary of Middlesex Water Company, provides water services to about 60,000 retail customers in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties.
Public Works Director Henry Matlosz presented the proposal during a commissioner workshop Jan. 6. He said the city’s Well 6, located in the Breezewood community off Old Landing Road, has been out of service since 2017 due to poor taste related to high iron content.
The city was going to install a new Well 6 near Well 8, which is located off Warrington Road, in 2024, but it was too close to an infiltration trench at the Beebe Healthcare complex and an infiltration trench in the Arbor-Lyn development, said Matlosz. The interconnection would be one-way near Well 8 at an agreed rate; the city would not supply water to Tidewater, he said.
This location was chosen because Tidewater has a 16-inch PVC line along the shoulder and the city has a 16-inch iron line right next to it, said Matlosz.
The proposed connection was brought to commissioners in light of the extremely high usage the city experienced this past Fourth of July weekend. Over the three days – July 5, 6 and 7 – there were more than a million gallons more of potable water provided than the Fourth of July weekends of 2022 or 2023, said Matlosz. The city has never seen usage like that, he said.
As a result of that high usage, the city issued a notice encouraging customers to use their irrigation systems on alternating days. Matlosz said he anticipates asking customers to do the same this coming summer because it flattens out demand. It’s the prudent thing to do, he said.
Commissioners were on board with the proposal. Looking forward, Matlosz said the plan is to come back to commissioners in March for bid approval and then to have the connection operational by the end of June. The expected cost for the connection is about $150,000 and is included in the capital improvement budget for next year, he said.
