NCCo. Gets $12M Federal Loan For Christina River Sewer Main Project

The federal loan for the Christina River Sewer Main project is for $12 million. (Photo from New Castle County Public Works)

New Castle County officials believe a new $12 million loan will help address one of civilization’s most crucial infrastructure systems.

For the first time, Delaware is receiving a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to help the county modernize the Christina River Force Sewer Main (CRFM), improving the reliability of wastewater service for approximately 330,000 residents while greatly reducing the likelihood of sewer overflows into the Christina River.

“It protects the public health and environment and promotes economic development,” said Jason Zern, operations engineer for New Castle County.

The loan is distributed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

About the sewer main

The Christina sewer main conveys 50 million to 150 million gallons of wastewater daily to the Wilmington Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Constructed between the 1970s and early 1980s, the main ranges from 36 to 84 inches in diameter.

The project is in response to age-related and condition concerns.

In the summer of 2020, the county completed a 2.5-year project to repair about 1,700 linear feet of the 84-inch main located just south of the Wilmington plant, which was needed due to hydrogen sulfide corrosion that had compromised the pipe’s structural integrity.

That unplanned project cost about $20 million.

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“NCC has started long-term planning to construct a new system that will provide full redundancy to the CRFM and rehabilitate the existing system before failures occur,” Zern said. “The entire project will be executed in multiple phases over 20-30 years, with a total cost estimate exceeding $650 million.”

The loan, which was accepted at an event in Wilmington Friday, focuses on Phase 1 of the total CRFM project, which is being coordinated with DelDOT’s Heald Street Bridge replacement project.

The Christina main is under the bridge, and leaving it in place during bridge replacement is cause for concern.

DelDOT is assisting NCC in constructing a bypass around their work zone.

“The design of this bypass is almost complete, and New Castle County anticipates construction to start mid-2025,” Zern said. “The cost is estimated to be $60 million to construct the CRFM bypass, and is expected to be under construction for over two years.”

Phase 2 is also being coordinated with DelDOT as part of its future replacement of the Market Street Bridge, which is anticipated to follow the Heald Street Bridge project.

Funding for the Phase 1 project comes from multiple sources, including the WIFIA loan.

“Delaware’s federal delegation supported us entering the program, and we are very grateful,” Zern said. “New Castle County is receiving $12 million from WIFIA for our Phase 1 project. The loan is a 35-year loan @ 4.49%. During construction, we pay the interest only.”

Zern said the county has signed a “master agreement” with the EPA, allowing it to use the WIFIA program for future phases of the Christina sewer main project.

The WIFIA master agreement offers the county a lot of flexibility for future borrowing, Zern said, which is why they opted for a federal loan rather than asking for state money.

“We’re already in line to get a loan for Phase 2, and we have some certainty to access this source of funds for phases beyond Phase 2,” he said.