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City of Wilmington releases water quality report, rebrands water division

Brad Glazier
/
Delaware Public Media

The City of Wilmington releases its annual water quality report.

The water report shows no EPA violations for any minerals or chemicals tested.

Various PFAS and PFOA levels also all tested below 10 parts per trillion, several were below 4 parts per trillion, which is already in line with the EPA’s recently updated maximum contaminant levels.

However, Water Division Director Chris Oh says they are in the early stages of developing treatment plant upgrades to ensure all levels are below that threshold. Each of the city’s two plants will cost $80-100 million to upgrade.

Oh says the city is also working on removing lead pipes throughout the city, but they need to create an inventory of where those pipes are first.

“The city has always been in the practice of, if we come across lead in the distribution system while we are doing other projects, we always have removed it," Oh says. "Basically what is going to happen is we’re going to develop this inventory and then we’re going to work with the State of Delaware for what that removal plan will look like.”

The City announced it will also rebrand its water division, creating Wilmington Water.

Public Works Commissioner Kelly Williams says its more than a name change – they’ll launch a new website soon to raise awareness about water, wastewater, and stormwater services and answer common resident questions about water quality.

“And of course this report will be put up there, and more information about lead and PFOA and PFAS and where we are at in that process," Williams says. "There is just going to be so much more information coming from the water utility that just hasn’t happened in the past.”

The report does includes one violation for testing requirements – in August, the city missed two of 100 samples it is required to take for total coliform. The city says this was due to an administrative error.

Rachel Sawicki was born and raised in Camden, Delaware and attended the Caesar Rodney School District. They graduated from the University of Delaware in 2021 with a double degree in Communications and English and as a leader in the Student Television Network, WVUD and The Review.