A wastewater plan in Rehoboth Beach has farmers and environmental groups speaking out

Whether it’s medical waste or treated wastewater, the idea of dumping into the Atlantic Ocean will usually bring forth voices of opposition. But not always for the reasons one might think.

In Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a plan to channel treated wastewater to a site in the Atlantic Ocean was met with resistance. According to delawareonline.com, the largest uproar came from farmers who made an “impassioned plea for recycling” the wastewater.

Instead of channeling the water offshore, they’d prefer it be recycled and used to irrigate crops.

But laws against the practice still stand, maintaining that because farmers wouldn’t legally be allowed to grow produce or raise livestock for human consumption, the city would have to buy the land specifically for the wastewater disposal.