LEWES, Del. - The Lewes Board of Public Works on Wednesday awarded Teal Construction Inc. a contract to begin a sewer and water project in the Donovan Smith Manufactured Home Community in Lewes. The decision was made after an in-depth discussion about plans for the project, a motion, and majority vote from the board to approve the bid and project.
"This has been a long time coming, and it's to the betterment of the environment, the community out there, and everyone," said one of the board members in Wednesday's meeting.
Residents living in the Donovan Smith Manufactured Home Community in Lewes know all to well the issues that come with a faulty sewer system and unclean water. For years, they complained about the issue and pleaded for solutions. Eventually, the community was annexed into the City of Lewes in April 2022, thanks to efforts from Sussex County councilmen, the State of Delaware, and other state agencies.
"It's been pretty bad for years," resident Samuel Saunders told WBOC. He is the president of the community's Homeowner Association and has lived there with his wife for 11 years. "The septics have been failing. Failing as in running on the ground and actually backing up into people's homes."
For Saunders, the city's approval of the project is great news.
"The city, like I said, has been a life-saver coming in assist our needs for having clean sewer and clean water," says Saunders.
But he still blames the park's management and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control for many of the issues neighbors are experiencing and wonders why they didn't address the issue quickly and efficiently. Saunders also said the park's owner continues to raise the price of rent despite the concerning issues in the community.
"To me, it's really weird how they have been allowed to continue to operate the septic units without being permitted by the State," says Saunders. "When we call them it seems like we're harassing them to explain our problem to them. It's really sad that a state organization that supposed to be protecting us, they really have not been doing that."
Lewes officials have promised to meet with Donovan Smith Manufactured Homes Community residents next week and into the future as plans for the project progress.
According to officials, the project is expected to be completed in October of 2024.