Wilmington and New Castle County make their sewer treatment agreement official.
New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer and Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki signed the 10-year contract earlier this week.
Meyer explains how that helps residents.
"The consequence for you is that your sewer system will run more seamlessly, more efficiently, more cost efficiently for years and years to come,” said Meyer. “We're signing today a 10-year agreement, but I like to say it's a lifetime agreement with a 10-year pilot."
This is the first time in 19 years the two governments have agreed on a wastewater treatment contract.
Purzycki says it’s long overdue.
"It doesn't say much for - I'll get in trouble for saying this- our predecessors. It seems to me this is something we should be able to sit down and work out, and Matt and I have been good allies and friends through all of this and we were committed to seeing that something got finished and we directed our staffs to work hard," said Purzycki.
In the agreement, the city will process county sewage at the city’s wastewater treatment plant on East 12th Street and Hay Road.
The new contract sets a date of no later than January 1, 2031 for the governments to start discussing a new contract.
The agreement also establishes a Wastewater Treatment Committee comprised of both city and county government representatives.
That committee will meet regularly to share information regarding wastewater system operations, planning, capital expenditures, finances, regulatory compliance, and other information.
