LEWES, Del. - A conservation group is urging state leaders to invest in a new water system at Cape Henlopen State Park, warning aging infrastructure could force closures if problems worsen.
Preserve Our Park President Barry Denenberg said a leak last year that wasted more than 4 million gallons of water raised concerns about the system’s reliability.
“If water ran dry and there’s no water, they’d have to close the park,” Denenberg said. “Just think 2 million visitors a year. And the money from this park actually supports all the other parks in the state.”
The group is requesting $400,000 from the state’s Bond Bill Committee to plan upgrades or a full replacement of the system at Cape Henlopen State Park.
Denenberg said the system is more than 80 years old and so outdated that the exact locations of some underground pipes are unclear. “It affects all parts of the park,” he said. “It would affect the bathhouses. It would affect the Biden Center. Everything is really dependent on this water infrastructure.”
Visitors say improvements would enhance both convenience and sustainability. Jacob Parr, a visitor, said, “There are plenty of people out here walking and hiking, so having water filling stations that are reliable, modern and provide good-quality water would help cut down on plastic waste.”
Preserve Our Park says without upgrades, continued failures could eventually force the state to shut down the park, a major tourism driver in the State.
