Carper to Tour Completed Combined Sewer Overflow System in Canby Park

Wilmington, DE- Senator Tom Carper will tour one of the completed combined sewer overflow (CSO) systems at Canby Park in Wilmington on Tuesday, December 14, 2004. The City of Wilmington currently has 38 CSOs. Delaware’s congressional delegation– Senators Joe Biden and Tom Carper and Congressman Mike Castle– secured a total of $1.5 million in 2004 and 2005 toward helping Wilmington improve its sewage management system. Combined sewers are designed to carry both sanitary sewage and urban storm water runoff and to convey the combined sewage and storm water flow to a treatment facility. Combined sewer overflows occur during wet weather when sewage and storm water exceed the capacity of the sewer system. CSO systems are designed to relieve the sewer system of the excess flow and to discharge it directly to a tributary or stream channel. Over the past decade, the city has made significant progress in controlling the untreated discharges of sanitary sewage and storm water. The city has significantly increased the capacity of its wastewater treatment plant to treat additional volumes of storm water during wet weather periods, resulting in a 71 percent reduction in combined sewer overflow volume on an annual basis. Based upon the results of an EPA report to Congress, Wilmington’s progress has been impressive. With the money the delegation was able to secure, the city has made progress in effectively eliminating 85 percent of the uncontrolled overflows into area waterways. Tuesday, December 14, 2004 WHO: Senator Tom Carper Representative from Mayor Baker’s Office Representative from City of Wilmington WHAT: Tour of Completed Combined Sewer Overflow System WHEN: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm WHERE: Canby Park Parking Lot Prospect Street (across from Boys and Girls Club) Wilmington