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Kent County gets detailed Millington wastewater, water-system update; construction contingent on funding
Summary
Engineers reported the Millington wastewater treatment 'inside-the-fence' work is roughly 90% complete and the conveyance/outfall designs should be ready for MDE submittal in November; commissioners were told the project's critical path is external funding, including a House earmark of just over $6 million that would not be available until July 1, 2026.
Dan String of KCI Technologies told Kent County commissioners that internal treatment-plant work is largely complete but getting wastewater conveyance, easements and the outfall in place are the immediate next steps before a formal Maryland Department of the Environment submission. "We're in like a 6 week window of when we'll get that completed, and then we'll be able to take the treatment plant along with the conveyance with it," String said.
String described a major river crossing and private easements that have to be negotiated, and said the county's site will come before the November Planning Commission. He estimated the earliest realistic bid or construction start would be late spring or early summer 2026, but emphasized that construction depends on financing commitments.
County staff said a congressional earmark of just over $6,000,000 is in the House appropriations draft but would not be available until July 1, 2026. USDA programs and other state and federal grants were discussed as likely gap funding, but staff warned of reduced USDA staffing and slower response times.
Engineers also presented a water-system assessment. The first-phase wastewater design targets about 350,000 gallons per day with long-term capacity projections above 600,000 gpd. However, Millington's existing water supply and distribution were identified as a near-term limit: staff estimated the town currently supports roughly 42,000 gpd (about 168 water EDUs), while the new wastewater plant would add capacity for roughly 900 wastewater EDUs. Staff recommended test wells and groundwater investigations in the next 6–9 months to confirm production and to size storage (a proposed water tower near Route 301 was noted). The county suggested interim measures such as water-efficiency upgrades and developer contributions to extend usable capacity as system improvements proceed.
Next steps outlined to the board included finishing conveyance design and easement agreements, submitting the MDE application in November if the design is complete, advancing environmental permitting for the river crossing and outfall, and pursuing identified funding channels before bidding work can begin.
