Ellendale Charrette

Ellendale and Surrounding Communities, Sussex County
Delaware

Population (of area): FY '93 Budget: Households (area): Municipal Property Tax: Median Household Income:

1,050 N/A 300 N/A $16,000

Town Background

The Town of Ellendale and the greater Ellendale area are located in the northeast section of Sussex County, Delaware, which is in southern Delaware. There are approximately 100 housing units in the Town and about 200 units in the surrounding area. At 3.5 persons per housing unit, this results in a population of 350 in Town and 700 in the greater Ellendale area.

Agriculture is the primary land use in the greater Ellendale area while the Ellendale State Forest marks the area's north, south and western boundaries. The region lies on the drainage divide for seven creeks, and is within Delaware's coastal plain. This land tends to be flatter and wetter in nature than surrounding landscapes.

A 1994 survey of 48 households in the greater Ellendale area indicated that 83% had incomes less than $16,000 (50% less than $11,000). The same survey indicated that 68% of the Town of Ellendale had household incomes below $16,000.

The Issue

Both the Town of Ellendale and the surrounding community are situated on land with generally poor soils and high seasonal groundwater levels. Most of the area cannot be permitted for septic tanks with conventional subsurface disposal systems under today's regulations. System failures are a common occurrence.

In 1989, Sussex County received an indication of interest from some area residents about developing a community wastewater system to address increasing concern about such health issues as standing septic effluent and drinking water contamination. The County held a public hearing in the Ellendale Fire Hall and then proceeded to study the area and evaluate alternative-type systems for wastewater collection, treatment and disposal.

It was at this time that the Town's elected officials indicated to the County that they opposed having the Town included in the proposed sanitary sewer district. The primary reason was the cost. The Delaware Code, which empowers Sussex County to construct, operate and maintain sewage facilities, prohibits the County from installing collection lines within an incorporated area without approval from the incorporated area's government in the form of an ordinance. To date, efforts to bring the Town into the proposed sewer district have failed. Therefore, subsequent cost estimates and plans were prepared excluding the Town.

Environmental Context

The proposed Greater Ellendale Sanitary Sewer District is approximately 977 acres or 1.53 square miles. A visit to the proposed district, which surrounds but does not include the Town of Ellendale, reveals that at least 35 homes have no indoor water and at least 40 homes have no indoor toilet facilities. It should be noted that three of the homes inside the Town of Ellendale use outdoor privies. In addition, 25 homes in the proposed district have lots that are too small to accommodate any type of septic system. This may be why community outhouses were situated in the area. Finally, about half of the homes in the proposed project area do not meet minimum state building codes. The lack of available "quality" affordable housing in Sussex County and the state has served to force a number of low income families to live in unclean and unsafe conditions.

The proposed sewer district is in the Manokin Aquifer. In 1989, water samples were taken from several test wells in the area. The test results determined that water from the sites was influenced by septic system effluent. A survey of the surrounding Ellendale area indicates that 67% of families with septic systems have problems with their system-overflowing and frequent pumping (more than once a year) were two of the most prevalent problems. Of course, outhouses would also result in contaminated ground water, especially since the water table is so close to the surface in this area.

Project Financing

In 1989, a preliminary engineering study recommended a combination gravity/pressure collection system with an activated sludge lagoon and surface water discharge. This project had an estimated cost of $3.5 million-with an initial 212 dwelling units in the proposed sanitary district, the cost per unit would be $16,500, which would be unaffordable.

After a series of revisions over a period of five years, in 1994 the Division of Water Resources of the State of Delaware proposed a $2.3 million project comprised of a small diameter gravity sewer collection system with aerated and storage lagoons and spray irrigation. With $38,200 estimated annual operations and maintenance costs, a 55% Farmers Home grant and a 4 1/2% 40 year loan, the user charge would still be $520/unit/year, or $190 over the amount considered affordable (1.5% of the Median Household Income or $330 per unit was considered affordable). Efforts were made to obtain sufficient grant funds from the State's capital budget to combine with the Farmers Home financing and keep the user charge at $330/unit/year, but the State's capital budget request did not include the funds requested.

Recommendations and Observations

• The sewer district must appoint ONE point person to put together a series of proposals and to work with federal and state agency people. In this way, opportunities can be leveraged and greater savings may be enjoyed.

• Use the State Revolving Fund (SRF) with a zero interest rate and a deferred principal payment plan-the Town of Ellendale in all likelihood will eventually hook into the system. At that time, the capital costs can be spread across a larger user base.

• Take advantage of unconventional sources of money, such as affordable housing funds, state and local economic development funds, new job partnership money. Look at the situation as more than just a sanitary sewerage problem

• The problem with Town participation may be that the residents have not forcefully expressed their desire to join the sewer district-some surveys indicate that 80% of Town residents would support a system if it was affordable. Re-present the current proposal to the Town, and indicate that Town residents can "sign-up" now for a nominal fee, or risk paying a substantially larger fee to hook up in the future