Slaughter Beach sewer district process begins

The wheels are in motion for the creation of the Slaughter Beach sewer district. At its Sept. 21 meeting, Sussex County Council approved a resolution to create a new district with approximately 250 customers.

The district boundary is also the municipal boundary of this small town on the Delaware Bay. Currently, about half of the residents have mound-type septic systems, while the rest have outdated systems requiring pump-outs, which are either near failing or failing.

At the town’s Aug. 9 meeting, the mayor and town council passed an ordinance requesting a county sewer district. Included in the ordinance is a cap of $1,200 on a property owner’s annual sewer assessment to fund the district. “We will honor this and believe it is reasonable,” said Sussex County engineer Hans Medlarz.

Medlarz said county staff will review the town’s preliminary sewer report, and once a report is finalized, staff will apply for funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

Medlarz said since 99 percent of the roads in Slaughter Beach are state-owned and -maintained, any disturbance during sewer construction must be restored in accordance with Delaware Department of Transportation’s most recent road standards. He said the project could take up to five years to complete.

“Because of health and safety issues, hopefully our friends at DelDOT are anxious to work with us,” said Council President Mike Vincent.

District 3 Councilman Mark Schaeffer said the new district is also a great benefit to the environment in a critical ecosystem along the bay. The town, incorporated in 1931, is part of the Milford Neck Wildlife Area and is a certified horseshoe crab sanctuary.