The fully automated system, designed by Steve Hudson the Director of Maintenance, is controlled by a programmable logic computer. The irrigation field consists of 320 acres, leased from the State of Delaware s Division of Parks and Recreation. The land is farmed and planted with wheat, barley, clover and permanent forage crops. The system uses naturally occurring microorganisms to purify wastewater in a series of lagoons. The reclaimed water is then recycled onto cropland.
Soil provides final filtration and crops uptake the remaining nutrients.
The renovated water returning to the ground water exceeds EPA drinking water standards. Through this natural recycling process, nutrient laden wastewater is productively used on farmland instead of flowing to Delaware s environmentally fragile inland bays and waterways.