Dover, DE September 25, 2006 – Individual septic systems located in older developments are steadily decreasing in Kent County. This was the message carried by federal and county officials that were gathered at Kent County’s Pump Station #4, along Alt. 113, that will serve two communities located nearby. The communities known as Brookdale Heights and Hideaway Acres are about 1 ½ miles north of the Town of Magnolia and have 108 homes altogether. Congressman Michael Castle who was scheduled to appear at the announcement said earlier in a prepared statement, "The infrastructure improvements are necessary to help protect the health of the residents for years to come and to ensure that we are protecting our natural resources like the St. Jones River by not allowing untreated sewage to seep into the ground."

USDA Rural Development is providing over $2 million in federal funding, in the form of a low interest loan in the amount of $1,000,000 and a grant in the amount of $1,179,800 that will allow Kent County Levy Court to extend central sewer to the homeowners in the two neighborhoods. Some of the homes in the area were constructed over 40 years ago and have aging septic systems that are either failing or have begun to fail. The lot sizes are small and do not allow for the replacement of a standard septic system which has caused some homeowners to install a mound system or defer to routine septic service to have their tanks pumped and cleaned so that they will function at a minimum. "Both alternatives can be very costly to the homeowner, and extending a central sewer system can be very costly for the County," said USDA Rural Development State Director Marlene Elliott. "The programs administered by USDA Rural Development are designed to help improve the quality of life in rural America, and safe, sanitary disposal of wastewater is something that fits the quality of life that we all want to enjoy."

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