DNREC to Conduct Statewide Assessment of Wastewater Infrastructure in Manufactured Home Communities

DNREC has started a statewide assessment of wastewater and drinking water infrastructure conditions at manufactured home communities (MHCs) throughout the state. Many MHCs are in underserved communities and some systems are believed to be outdated, poorly maintained or in various stages of disrepair. Over 170 MHCs have been identified so far. The first phase of the project is documenting all know manufactured home communities in Delaware and conducting outreach on the project with First State Manufactured Housing and Delaware Manufacture Homeowners Associations.

Additional information from DNREC:  

The project, relying on U.S. EPA grants and State Revolving Fund money, has identified more than 170 MHCs across the state to date. Of those, 98 are known to provide on-site wastewater treatment/disposal. Many of these communities have small, shared septic systems that were installed years ago, and thus are not covered by an inspection program requirement under Delaware Regulations Governing the Design, Installation and Operation of On-Site Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems. Understanding the need for upgrades to these systems in the future is another integral component of the assessment project.

“The baseline data collected from this project will be used to hopefully assist these communities with water and wastewater challenges that have arisen, often through no fault of manufactured home community residents,” said DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson. “The focus is on identifying where water infrastructure improvements are needed rather than regulatory enforcement — though we will certainly seek compliance if we encounter public health concerns.”

“While we’re collecting data that can help facilitate open and improved communications with residents and property owners, our goal is to identify MHCs in need of infrastructure improvements and connect them with the resources that can help make their living circumstances better,” said DNREC Division of Water Director Steve Smailer.

To obtain the best available information about wastewater and water infrastructure in these communities, DNREC and its environmental contractor, Verdantas, began the project in late 2025 with the first phase: documenting all known manufactured home communities in Delaware and conducting outreach on the project with the First State Manufactured Housing Association and the Delaware Manufactured Homeowners Association. Both organizations have communicated with their respective memberships about the project, which will be instrumental in its success since many of the MHC wastewater systems are believed to predate DNREC records and water permitting processes.

Phase 2 began in March with preliminary field assessments, as Verdantas field teams make site visits to a subset of the communities identified in Phase 1 to gather on-the-ground information about wastewater and drinking water infrastructure. During those visits, Verdantas will be documenting the size of each manufactured home community, the types of water and wastewater systems in use, the age of those systems and other site conditions. Staff from Verdantas will continue scheduling visits with communities and conducting in-person assessments for the next several weeks.

For more information, visit the de.gov/mhcproject webpage.