By Glenn Rolfe

DAGSBORO — Several housekeeping procedures remain, but it appears that the town will will be closing the valve with Millsboro next month and tapping into Artesian Water Co. as a primary water source.

With negotiations with its neighbor to the north apparently over and an interconnect agreement on the table, Dagsboro is poised to soon begin receiving water from Artesian’s Greater Dagsboro Water Treatment Plant.

Dagsboro currently receives its water supply from Millsboro in a 20-year agreement that runs through December 2022. Once the interconnect valve is closed, however, Artesian will become Dagsboro’s principal supplier.

“We will decide on a date to actually cut that interconnection off. We’re thinking January. It’s just a matter of when in January,” said Dagsboro town administrator Cindi Brought. “It will be turned off, and there will be no more water going to or from Millsboro to Dagsboro from their end.”

One of Artesian’s three plants in the area, the Dagsboro facility on Armory Road provides an additional supply of 2 million gallons per day to southeastern Sussex County.

At its meeting Monday, Millsboro Town Council approved the final interconnect agreement, incorporating revisions from ongoing discussions between the neighboring municipalities.

“This water won’t co-mingle, is that correct?” Millsboro Councilman John Thoroughgood asked Monday.

Town engineer Carrie Kruger replied, “Yes, there were provisions put in there so that it can only go one direction. And whenever it’s flushed periodically for maintenance and cleaning out the lines, it will always go from Millsboro to Dagsboro.”

Periodic valve openings are designed to keep lines fresh.

“You just can’t let it sit stagnant,” said Ms. Brought. “We will pay them (Millsboro) for the water that comes through. When we do those tests, there is absolutely no water that can go into Millsboro.”

The only exception to that water-flow restriction, noted Millsboro public works director Kenny Niblett, would be a “force majeure,” a common contractual clause that essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation in the event of a natural disaster or an extraordinary event beyond the control of the towns.

Dagsboro Town Council is expected to review the final draft at its Dec. 20 meeting. “I think we’re going to go ahead and sign it,” said Ms. Brought.

Dagsboro had hoped to be using Artesian earlier in 2021, with Sept. 1 as a target date. Part of the delay was due to Millsboro’s request that Dagsboro not tap into the Artesian network until Millsboro’s new 1 million-gallon water tower on Del. 20 became operational.

While Millsboro’s contract with Louisville, Kentucky-based Caldwell Tanks Inc. called for substantial completion of that tower by July 14, that status was not confirmed until Aug. 26.

In the switch to Artesian, Dagsboro must notify the state Office of Drinking Water, as well as give Millsboro two weeks’ notice prior to the valve being turned off.

“That’s why we are thinking it has got to be January,” said Ms. Brought.

Currently, Dagsboro’s consumer rate for water is $6 per 1,000 gallons. Its contracted rate with Artesian is $3.50 per 1,000 gallons, but that is not likely to be passed on to consumers. However, the expectation is that the consumer rate will be somewhat less than what it is with water from Millsboro.

“I am hoping to take it down, but we can’t take it down too far and then raise it back up,” said Ms. Brought. “One nice thing is Artesian must go before the Public Utility Commission every time they request an increase, and we are allowed to object. Where Millsboro, being a private organization, could do whatever they wanted to in regard to rates, without our approval.”