Seaford council hears multi‑phase plan to raise wastewater plant to new treatment standard, expand capacity to serve future growth

Seaford held a public hearing Tuesday on a proposed multi‑phase upgrade and expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant that engineers said is needed to meet discharge permit limits, replace aging equipment and prepare for sea‑level rise.

The presentation, led by Chris Derbyshire, said the work began as planning in 2016 and would be delivered in three phases: headworks/headroom upgrades (phase 1), liquid‑stream treatment conversion to a membrane bioreactor (phase 2) and biosolids/effluent disinfection work (phase 3). “It’s been in the works for a number of years. Actually started in 2016,” Derbyshire said.

The project team said phase 1 focuses on the headworks, new screening and grit removal, rehabilitation of primary clarifiers and a new septic receiving and equalization facility. Later phases would convert the biological treatment to a membrane bioreactor to reach the proposed nutrient limits and expanded capacity.

Why it matters: Engineering presenters said load limits tied to the city’s discharge permit effectively reduced the plant’s permitted capacity in recent years even though the physical plant was…