Rehoboth Beach samples stormwater as part of outfall project

Rehoboth Beach officials want to make sure the water quality at its beaches remain among the best in the nation when the new ocean outfall project is complete.

Between now and September, the city of Rehoboth Beach will conduct stormwater sampling near Lake Gerar and along the boardwalk to assure water-quality standards are met.

In a Natural Resources Defense Council study, Delaware was ranked No. 1 in terms of beaches that exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's most protective benchmark for assessing swimmer safety, known as the Beach Action Value. 

The council's study found that of 549 beach water samples from 24 Delaware beaches received in 2013, the latest year of the study, 3 percent exceeded the BAV. In comparison, Ohio beaches had a 35 percent exceedance rate, while Alaska came in at 24 percent. 

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According to a release from the city, residents and visitors will see nine water-quality sampler units being installed next to manholes in the evaluation areas on Thursday and Friday.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control mandated that the city submit a report on the water quality in five stormwater outfalls that empty into the ocean as part of the approval of the Rehoboth ocean outfall permits.

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The outfalls are located at Grenoble Place, Maryland Avenue, Rehoboth Avenue, Laurel Street and Delaware Avenue.

The purpose of this sampling is to investigate what is in the city's stormwater, said Jeff Riling, an engineer with GHD, the firm overseeing the outfall project. This information will be used to check the water quality, and where needed, develop options to reduce stormwater volume and evaluate disposal options, along with improving the water quality. 

Riling said when the outfall was approved, water-quality measures were based on flow rates. One of the conditions of the project is the evaluation of stormwater based on real data.

"We will collect real data and make sure our assumptions are valid," Riling said. "Normally this would happen when there are issues with the water quality." 

During a storm, the tubing will pull a sample of the stormwater flowing into the ocean and Lake Gerar at specific times, Riling said. 

"We'll look at how much rainfall we receive and the amount going out of each outfall," he said. "During a storm event when flow reaches certain levels, devices will suck water through a tube to be collected and studied for nutrients and bacteria." 

City of Rehoboth officials say it is important that the units and their tubing are not unplugged, moved or disturbed to assure that accurate data is collected.

Officials urge anybody who sees a sampler that looks like it has been tampered with to contact the Rehoboth Beach Police Department at (302) 227-2577 so that the sampler can be checked to assure that it is in proper working order.

The city of Rehoboth Beach release said that during or just after a storm, GHD employees will be seen on-site collecting the samples.

"Their safety vests will be clearly marked GHD," the release stated. "If you see anyone that appears to be working on the samplers that are not in GHD safety vests, please contact the number above." 

Closer to becoming a reality

The Rehoboth Beach outfall project took another step forward last Wednesday.

Officials met to discuss bids received for the project as well as a new agreement for wastewater and biosolids services between the county and Rehoboth.

At the city commissioners meeting, representatives from GHB, officials from the Sussex County government and representatives from DNREC discussed the project that could cost over $40 million. 

The outfall will dump treated wastewater into the Atlantic Ocean 6,000 feet from shore. It was created in response to a court order from DNREC that the city stop discharging its wastewater into the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal near the entrance to Rehoboth Bay.

GHB outlined the expenses for the project. The bids totaled $37.38 million. The outfall project itself will cost $27.65 million, the force main will cost $5.7 million, the effluent pump station will cost $1.76 million and the Rehoboth Beach wastewater treatment plant will cost $2.25 million.

If the lowest bids are approved, the project will be $5 million above the estimated cost done by engineers, but still within what the city budgeted.

Reach Jerry Smith at jsmith17@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JerrySmithTNJ.