In July 2005, as part of the CSO control program undertaken by the City of Wilmington, DNREC and the EPA, an underground storage tank was buried in Canby Park to capture a large portion of runoff. The tank is designed to hold up to 2.7 million gallons of combined stormwater and sewage so it can be treated at Wilmington's Wastewater Treatment Plant after the rain has ended. During the construction, CSOs 28 & 29 were diverted to this underground storage tank.
The next phase of CSO improvements will require installation of a 30-inch diversion sewer along the banks of Silverbrook Run, through a small section of the Town of Elsmere, connecting CSO 27 to the new underground sewage retention tank located in Canby Park. This should be completed in less than a year.
Diverting
CSOs 27, 28 and 29 will:
• significantly reduce the frequency of
overflows
• improve the health of area waterways
• reduce odors in the area
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| CSO
27 originates below the CSX railway, adjacent to Cathedral Cemetery. |
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| View
along the Silverbrook Run where it diverges from Cathedral Cemetery.
The diversion sewer will follow this same path. |
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| Example of a warning sign posted at the location of every CSO outfall. |
What to expect during construction
Construction will follow the banks of Silverbrook Run and some sections of road and sidewalks may be affected. The banks of Silverbrook Run will be restored to original condition. Curbs and sidewalks damaged during construction will be restored completely and roadways will be repaved curb-to-curb.
Be alert for possible changes in traffic patterns while roadwork is taking place to prepare for sections of pipe. We will be working closely with the Town of Elsmere to minimize the impacts to traffic. Construction equipment will be staged in the area. Please remind children and youth to stay away from this construction equipment. Trespassing is both illegal and dangerous.
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| This
map shows affected areas and temporary traffic patterns during construction. |
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| This
map shows the location of CSO 27 along the Silverbrook Run near Lancaster
Avenue. The red dashed line shows the path the 30-inch diversion sewer
will take in order to connect the CSO to the underground storage tanks
in Canby Park. Previously, CSOs 28 and 29 were diverted to this temporary
underground storage. |
No. Both this project and the Canby Park storage tank project were designed to reduce the volume and frequency of overflows. If there were a practical way to replace the CSO system, of course we would. But since that would cost millions of dollars and would be pretty much impossible to accomplish, in most areas of the City we are seeking ways to better manage and control our system without having to dig up the entire City, both in the street and on private property.