The company claims that using reclaimed water to irrigate farm fields can save the Delmarva region millions of gallons of groundwater each day.
The company has designed the AWRP initiative to provide planning, engineering and technical knowledge and bring together various state, local and private partners to develop water recycling projects.
Through AWRP, the company has launched the first project in Middletown in cooperation with partners including the town of Middletown, Governor Jack Markell’s office, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the Delaware Farm Bureau, the University of Delaware and two area farmers.
The project, which is expected to save nearly 3 million gallons of water per day, will enable the farmers to irrigate their fields with reclaimed water from Middletown instead of using pumped ground water.
Dian Taylor, chair, president and CEO of Artesian Resources, said: “Water recycling makes sense for Delaware and the region, particularly during times of drought.
“Using reclaimed water saves our groundwater; reduces nutrients in our rivers, streams and in the Chesapeake and Delaware bays; enables municipalities to expand wastewater service without capital expenditures for the purchase of land; and makes farming more financially tenable.”
