New Castle County outlines $650 million, multidecade plan to add redundancy to Christina River force main; three sewer projects advance

New Castle County sewer managers described a multidecade program to add redundancy to the Christina River force main and pushed three nearer-term projects into permitting and procurement.

Jason Zern, senior manager for sewer and stormwater, told the County Council Public Works Committee that the Christina River force main "is the most critical piece of sewer infrastructure that the county owns." He said the pipe, built in the early 1980s, serves about 300,000 residents and has no full redundancy; flows range up to tens of millions of gallons per day. An emergency repair near the Wilmington Treatment Plant a few years ago cost about $20 million, Zern said, underscoring the system’s vulnerability.

Zern said the county has nearly finished a conceptual plan for a fully redundant system with a current order-of-magnitude estimate of about $650 million and an overall build-out timeline of roughly 20 to 30 years. He described a Phase 1 bypass aligned with an upcoming DelDOT bridge replacement: the county would install a new bypass line prior to DelDOT’s work so DelDOT can replace the bridge while the force main is out of the way. Phase 1 is expected to be a roughly 2,000‑foot bypass and, if easements are secured, the county hopes to bid the work this spring and complete the two‑year construction segment in that area.

Zern said funding for the Christina River work would come from a mix of sources: the state revolving fund loan, federal financing including a WIFIA (Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) loan, DelDOT contributions and other federal dollars.

Separately, Zern described an expansion of spray disposal tied to Water Farm 1. The plan would treat effluent at Water Farm 1 and transmit treated effluent to farmland on county‑owned properties near Marlpit Bridge for spray disposal. He said the full potential of the spray expansion is about 1.7 million gallons per day in new capacity, giving an overall disposal capability of roughly 3.5 million gallons per day after build‑out. The county is in permitting with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), seeking land‑use approvals and negotiating appraisals and easements; construction could start later this year depending on permitting, with spray operations phased in over roughly two years.

The third project Zern described is the Brandywine interceptor phase 1, an older sewer line that runs along the Brandywine River and has required multiple emergency repairs. Bids for the phase 1 repair work were returned this winter and the contract was awarded at about $9.2 million. The project includes pipe repairs and pipelining where feasible; it also adds a dual‑purpose paved trail through Alapocas Run state park that will provide both recreational access and improved maintenance access for the sewer. Zern said preconstruction started in March and the contractor will clear and prep the site over the coming month, with sewer repair activity expected to start in mid‑April and paving of the trail later this fall. The Brandywine work is partly funded with ARPA dollars.

Committee members pressed for detail. Councilman Dave Carter asked for linear feet for the Phase 1 bypass; Zern estimated roughly 2,000 feet. Council members and staff discussed the county’s multiyear contract with the City of Wilmington for treatment services; staff said there is a multi‑year agreement in place, executed in 2022, and quarterly coordination meetings are held.

Why it matters: the Christina River force main carries wastewater for a large share of the county’s population and has few operational redundancies. Zern framed the program as a long‑term capital and financing challenge that will require state and federal loans and coordination with DelDOT and the City of Wilmington.

Discussion, directions and next steps: staff said they plan to bid the Phase 1 Christina River bypass in the spring, continue permitting for the Water Farm spray expansion this year and proceed with the Brandywine interceptor construction that has an approximately nine‑month schedule. Staff also reported ongoing easement negotiations with private property owners on the bypass and pipeline routes.

Votes at a glance: the committee approved adoption of the meeting minutes from Oct. 1 by voice vote at the start of the session; the meeting adjournment also passed by voice vote at the end of the session. Neither roll‑call tallies nor named individual votes were recorded in the transcript.

Sources and funding: Zern said the Christina River program estimate includes state revolving fund loans, federal WIFIA loans and DelDOT contributions; the Brandywine interceptor uses ARPA funds for part of its budget. DNREC is the permitting authority for the spray disposal expansion.

Ending: Staff said they will return with procurement documents and updated schedules as permits are secured and easements are finalized.