Mobile Home Park With Failing Septic Has Unwanted Visitors: Rats

Rats are adding to the misery of residents at the Donovan Smith Mobile Home Park in the Lewes area.

The neighborhood has been plagued with septic system failures that have resulted in sewage bubbling to the surface and bad smells. Many residents are drinking bottled water.

Now, it appears vermin that apparently nested in septic tanks, some of which have collapsed, are searching for new homes. In some cases, that has led them to local residences.

“Now that those tanks are collapsing because they’re empty, the poor folks at Donovan’s now have rats infesting their homes,” Sussex County 3rd District Councilman Mark Schaeffer said on WGMD with Mike Bradley.

Schaeffer said the Department of Natural Resources has been notified, but he also has said DNREC has not seriously
addressed septic system failures that have persisted for years.

DNREC issued the community a notice-of-violation in early July, and the City of Lewes is willing to connect the Donovan Smith neighborhood with its treatment system. Septic problems in the community go back more than a decade.

“2021 in Lewes, Delaware, it’s unbelievable that people are living like this,” Schaeffer said.

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