Dear Editor:
Many thanks to the Eastern Shore Post’s Stefanie Jackson for her “all in” coverage of the many issues that local and county elected officials regularly wrestle with on our behalf, especially within the borders of Northampton County.
We are genuinely grateful for her reporting on the Town of Exmore’s ongoing effort to solve our wastewater quagmire, a nearly 14-year journey that frankly we have no option to sidestep. As Stefanie has reported many times, we have been under a consent order to address our noncompliance with state and federal regulations governing sewage collection and treatment, and both agencies have been patiently working with town leaders as they traverse the twisted maze of grants, low-interest loans, and regulatory options.
In last week’s Eastern Shore Post, Stefanie reported on the latest news regarding this and other town issues (“Exmore Will Use 90% of Rescue Plan Funding for Sewer Project,” May 7, Page 7). In that article it was reported that during the public comment period I suggested that existing septic tanks should be considered for use in the proposed new collection system instead of grinder pumps. I apparently was not clear as to that suggestion and appreciate the chance to elaborate.
What I suggested was leaving septic tanks that were in good workable condition in place as pretreatment and upstream of the necessary grinder pumps which allow the town’s sewage to be pumped to the proposed HRSD force main. The job of a septic tank is to collect solids and other items that should not be so disposed, allowing only high-nutrient wastewater to migrate into the leach field or in this case, an expensive transfer pump. This arrangement would provide a first line defense and protection for those expensive grinder pumps that are not designed to process items that are all too-often found at the bottom of tanks when they are pumped out on a regular basis, saving the homeowner the time and expense of replacing those necessary system components.
Thank you for allowing me to clarify my remarks and for the incredibly important coverage by the Eastern Shore Post of important issues facing ESVA businesses and residents.
Ken Dufty
Exmore Business Owner
