Press Releases

MIDDLETOWN, Del. - Today, Monday, April 1, 2024, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) joined Middletown Mayor Kenneth L. Branner, Jr. and Dr. Kevin Spence with the Delaware League of Local Governments for a tour of a Middletown Wastewater Treatment Plant that is being updated with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) – legislation that Blunt Rochester, alongside Senator Carper and Senator Coons, championed in Congress. The updates will allow for the increased capacity of the Town’s wastewater treatment system, which is especially important as Middletown continues to experience rapid growth. This visit coincides with the Regional Leadership Council’s Week of Action where members of the council are highlighting federal investments from the historic legislation passed in the 117^th Congress, including the American Rescue Plan Act, in their local communities. Blunt Rochester was appointed to the council by Leader Hakeem Jeffries to help lead the implementation and communication of the legislation passed for Region 9 which includes Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington, DC. 

“Middletown’s population has more than tripled since 2000, and with that rapid growth comes the need for an increased capacity to better serve this growing community,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester, member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and member of the Regional Leadership Council. “I was proud to champion the American Rescue Plan Act in Congress, alongside Senators Carper and Coons, so that we could make long-overdue investments in Delaware’s towns and cities. With this ARPA funding, Middletown is working towards increasing its wastewater treatment capacity - which will in turn help grow our economy, protect public health, and improve our quality of life.” 

Middletown Mayor Kenneth L. Branner, Jr. said the ARPA funding received by the Town is going to be critical for ongoing economic development. “One hundred percent of our funding is going to one large project, an SBR system that will treat the Town’s wastewater – including future developments such as the STA Pharmaceutical Company coming in, and continuous growth in the Town,” said Mayor Brenner. “This upgrade to our system will keep us ahead of future growth and development for many years to come.” Branner added that the system, when completed later this year, should be able to treat up to 5 million gallons of wastewater per day at build-out of the Town, which is 1.5 million gallons above what is predicted to be necessary.

Background on Middletown ARPA Funding

Middletown is using $12.36 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act for its Sequence Batch Reactor Project – a type of wastewater treatment facility that will supplement and improve the capabilities of Middletown's current system. In this system, wastewater is added to a single “batch” reactor, treated to remove undesirable components, and then discharged. It will allow Middletown’s wastewater system to increase its treatment from 2.5 million gallons per day to 3.75 million gallons – with the ability to expand to 5 million gallons per day when needed.