Wilmington And New Castle County Finalize 10-Year Agreement Regarding Wastewater Treatment Services

Wilmington DE

27 April, 2022

2:56 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Wilmington: April 26, 2022 The pact will now be reviewed and voted on by the Wilmington City Council and New Castle County Council The pact will now be reviewed and voted on by the Wilmington City Council and New Castle County Council The pact will now be reviewed and voted on by the Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer today announced that the City and County have agreed to a 10-year contract that settles a lengthy sewage treatment dispute between the two governments. Specifically, the agreement establishes a path forward for the next decade for the City to process county sewage at the City's wastewater treatment plant on East 12th Street and Hay Road. The contract, which now goes to the respective legislative councils of both governments for review and approval, marks the first time in 19 years, since 2003, that the two governments have agreed on a wastewater treatment contract. The Mayor and County Executive announced late last year that they had been meeting in person and by phone to seek a breakthrough in the dispute, which had eluded previous City and County Administrations. Finally, last November 9, the two government leaders announced they had reached an agreement in principle. Law and public works representatives from both governments have spent the past few months ironing out the details of the highly technical agreement, which culminated with today's contract settlement announcement. "I am grateful to County Executive Meyer for his personal engagement on an issue that has defied resolution for far too long," said Mayor Purzycki. "Neither of us wanted this to go on any longer and we knew it was better for the residents and businesses served by both governments that the matter be settled." "I am thankful for the time and consideration Mayor Purzycki gave to resolving this issue," said County Executive Meyer. "The agreement we came to is fair and equitable for both city and county residents and likely saved millions of dollars of legal fees that would have come from the sewer fees paid by residents across the County." The Mayor and County Executive said all things considered, the agreement represents a fair allocation of costs and responsibilities between the governments and should pass the test of time preventing further disputes. In fact, the new contract already sets a date of no later than January 1, 2031, for the governments to begin discussing a new contract. The agreement also establishes a Wastewater Treatment Committee comprised of City and County government representatives who will meet regularly to share information regarding wastewater system operations, planning, capital expenditures, finances, regulatory compliance, and other relevant information. Both the Wilmington City Council and New Castle County Council must approve the new agreement in order for it to become effective. COMMUNITY AND MEDIA INQUIRIES: John Rago Deputy Chief of Staff City of Wilmington, Office of the Mayor Mobile: (302) 420-7928 Email: [email protected] Brian Cunningham Director of Communications Office of New Castle County Executive Matthew Meyer Mobile: (302) 685-2795 Email: [email protected] This press release was produced by the City of Wilmington. The views expressed here are the author's own.