Dec. 2, 2008
Vol. 38, No. 539

Media contact:  Kathy Bunting-Howarth, Director, Water Resources, (302) 739-9950; or Melinda Carl, Public Affairs, (302) 739-9902

DNREC Closes Mispillion River to Boaters,
Hunters Due to Sewage System Discharge 

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has closed the Mispillion River, wetlands and floodplain from the spillway at Silver Lake down to Delaware Bay including the lower reaches of Cedar Creek.

The closing was necessitated by a force main break in the Kent County Sewer System, which has caused raw sewage to be discharged directly into the Mispillion River in Milford.

According to reports from Kent County, the force main which transfers sewage from the Milford area to the Kent County Wastewater Treatment Plant near Frederica ruptured yesterday in the median of Route 1 near the I.G. Burton automobile dealership. In order to repair the force main, raw sewage was redirected into the Mispillion River at Milford. 

Perdue and Seawatch have both agreed to shut down production to minimize wastewater flow until repairs are completed.

DNREC Secretary John A. Hughes will order reopening of the river, wetlands and floodplain sequentially along with opening lake spillways to release water and flush the river after the leak is closed.