Tidewater Utilities plans to break ground on a new wastewater treatment plant in Milton sometime this summer.

The company, which purchased Milton’s treatment plant in 2007, expects to open the new plant in 2021 located on a 5-acre parcel on Sam Lucas Road south of the intersection of Sam Lucas Road and Cave Neck Road. The new plant will have a capacity of 350,000 gallons per day with a more advanced technology to remove nitrogen from the effluent, officials say. Treated effluent would continue to empty into the Broadkill River. Milton Mayor Ted Kanakos said the discharge will be subject to pollution standards established by Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Tidewater has two requests before Milton Town Council: a private well at the site, and for a lot-line adjustment and a stormwater easement.

“The town doesn't have much to say at this point as this project is well along and is well through the engineering stage,” Kanakos said. “Most of the big decisions regarding the environment are handled by the state.”

Tina Gardner, spokeswoman for Tidewater, said DNREC has issued construction permits for the plant and is now working on surrounding issues, such as the lot lines, stormwater and erosion control, and site-plan approval, which the company expects to have approved within the next 60 days. Once these approvals are in order, she said, Tidewater will begin soliciting proposals and bids. Gardner said discharging into the Broadkill has always been part of the plan because alternative disposal methods were found to be cost-prohibitive.

Michael Globetti, spokesman for DNREC, confirmed that Tidewater has a permit for construction of the new plant and that the existing operating permit will be renewed. He said Tidewater is not required to eliminate discharge into the Broadkill and the department does not oppose Tidewater discharging into the river. Kanakos said no date has been set for groundbreaking.

The existing plant, on the riverfront at Front and Collins streets, was built in the 1960s. It was upgraded in the 1980s for biological treatment of raw waste, but it is not effective for removing nutrients like nitrogen or phosphorus.

The plant, which occupies two acres on a much larger parcel owned by the town, serves 1,600 customers and treats 180,000 gallons per day, but Tidewater officials say in light of future growth in the area, the plant would not be able to meet state total maximum daily load standards for nitrogen and phosphorus.

The new plant will be set at the rear of the Sam Lucas Road property, and will be fenced and gated. Once the new plant is online, Tidewater will demolish the Front Street plant and return that property to the town.

Milton council to hear rezoning request for Route 16 parcel

Besides Tidewater, council will discuss an application for rezoning filed by Milton Attainable Housing LLC.

Milton Attainable Housing, a proposed mixed-use development across from Po’ Boys Creole and Fresh Catch on Route 16, is seeking a resolution for a public hearing on rezoning and an amendment to the comprehensive development plan. The property is currently subject to an annexation request being debated by the three-member Special Review Committee. A portion of the land within town limits is zoned C-1 commercial and most of the land is located in Sussex County, zoned AR-1 agricultural-residential.

Council will continue discussion of the draft sustainability plan and its implementation, as well as the Magnolia Street drainage project, which includes analysis of a parking plan and repairs to the bulkhead on the Broadkill River.

The final bit of old business is discussion of a resolution to rename the Milton Memorial Park gazebo after Councilman Charlie Fleetwood.

In new business, council will discuss a resolution seeking a Community Development Block Grant and a sidewalk waiver for Sussex County Habitat for Humanity’s building at 416 Cedar St. Finally, council will discuss a partitioning request from ECS Capital LLC related to property at 401 Sussex St.