Artesian Water customers will receive credits on their water bills for the next four years to cover costs associated with operating the water utility company’s Llangollen well field in northern New Castle County.
The Delaware Sand & Gravel Trust, which is responsible for remediating releases from a former landfill designated as a Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, agreed in a settlement to reimburse Artesian for the $10 million invested in treatment technologies and operations of the Llangollen well field since 2013.
With approval from the Delaware Public Service Commission on Monday, proceeds from the settlement can now be credited to Artesian Water Company Inc. customers who have borne the brunt of expenses associated with maintaining the well field, according to a news release.
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Customers active as of Sept. 30 will receive a $27 credit on their next water bill no later than Oct. 31. Similar credits will be issued to active customers as of July 31 in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
“Without the need for costly litigation, the Trust accepted responsibility for not only the costs already incurred, but for any that will be incurred as a result of activities at the site, ensuring that Artesian’s customers will not bear that burden in their water bills,” Nicholle R. Taylor, president of Artesian Water Company, said in the release.
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The settlement is reimbursement for treatment systems Artesian Water made at its northern New Castle County Llangollen well field to ensure water meets all state and federal drinking water standards.
Delaware Sand & Gravel operated a gravel quarry until 1968 and then a landfill from 1968 to 1976 on a site north of the Llangollen well field, between routes 13 and 9 in northern New Castle County. Releases from the former landfill impacted groundwater quality in the area, which prompted the EPA’s Superfund site designation as well as the need for Artesian Water to install various forms of treatment to protect drinking water quality.
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The Sand & Gravel Trust will continue remediation of the Superfund site to prevent further migration of contaminants from the landfill to the well field and will reimburse Artesian for any future operational costs associated with operating the treatment systems at the Llangollen well field.
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