Harveys filthy floodwaters pose significant dangers to human safety and the environment even after water levels drop, experts say.

Houston already was notorious for sewer overflows following rainstorms. Now the system, with 40 wastewater treatment plants across the far-flung metropolis, faces an unprecedented challenge.

State officials said several dozen sewer overflows had been reported in areas affected by the hurricane, including in Corpus Christi. Private septic systems in rural areas could fail as well.

Also in the noxious mix are spilled fuel, runoff from waste sites, lawn pesticides and pollutants from the regions many petroleum refineries and chemical plants.

Houstons mayor said Tuesday that Americas fourth-largest city was open for business, but with many areas under water and some residents not able to get to work, many huge problems remained.

The potentially toxic water is a big one. Floodwaters have inundated at least seven Superfund toxic waste sites near Houston and some may be damaged, though Environmental Protection Agency officials have yet to assess the full extent of what occurred.

The Houston area has more than a dozen Superfund sites, among the nations most intensely contaminated places. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told CNN that the EPA is working on some of them already, but they have restraints on their ability to check out some of them just simply because of the water.

Meanwhile, repairs continued on the water treatment plant in Beaumont, about 85 miles from Houston, which failed during flooding. Houston said its water was safe to drink. Keeping it that way will require stepped-up chemical treatments because of the flooding.

Its prudent to pump more chlorine and other disinfectants into drinking water systems in emergencies like this, to prevent outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and dysentery, said David Andrews, senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization. But doing so poses its own risks, he said.

Theres often more organic matter sewage, plants, farm runoff in reservoirs or other freshwater sources during heavy rains. When chlorine reacts with those substances, it forms chemicals called trihalomethanes, which can boost the risk of cancer and miscarriages, Andrews said.

Right now its a tough time to deal with that, when youre just trying to clean the water up and make sure its not passing illnesses through the system, he said. But we should do better at keeping contamination out of source water in the first place.

A report by the nonprofit research group Climate Central said more than 10 billion gallons of sewage was released along the East Coast during Superstorm Sandy.

The Houston Chronicle reported last year that Houston averages more than 800 sewage overflows a year and is negotiating an agreement with the EPA that would require system improvements.

A Texas A&M analysis of floodwater samples from the Houston area revealed levels of E. coli bacteria that signal the presence of fecal matter 125 times higher than is safe for swimming. Even wading through such tainted water could cause infections and sickness, said Terry Gentry, an associate professor and specialist in detecting tiny disease-producing organisms.

Precautions should be taken by anyone involved in cleanup activities or any others who may be exposed to floodwaters, said a statement from the EPA.

Hazards will remain as waters gradually recede. Puddles, tires and other pools of standing water will attract mosquitoes, which can spread viruses such as West Nile and Zika.

Much of the dirty water will flow through rivers, creeks and bayous into Galveston Bay, renowned for its oyster reefs, abundant wildlife and seagrass meadows. Then officials will need to monitor shellfish for signs of bacterial contamination.

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Harvey's floodwaters are a foul mix of sewage, chemicals - Omaha World-Herald

NEW DELHI: The government has stated that safety standards in the cleaning of sewer and septic tanks are alarmingly low across the country in the wake of 10 people falling prey to cleaning sewers in a month in the capital.

A review of the "Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013" (MS Act) has found that there is no information available about the cases lodged for engaging sanitation workers in "hazardous cleaning". Engaging sanitation workers without safety equipment is barred by the MS Act.

Without any official data from states, Union social justice ministry has said that 70 cases of deaths of persons in sewers and septic tanks have come to their notice from activists and press reports.

While the ministry took up these incidents with the states, there were no report from their side about action against those responsible except in one or two cases.

Importantly, six states have reported figures of "sewerage deaths" in the context of having paid the compensation to victim families which the SC had made mandatory through a judgement in 2014.

Tamil Nadu has reported 144 deaths, Punjab 18, Karnataka 57, UP 37 and Kerala 12. However, even these figures are not exhaustive and may be just the tip of the iceberg.

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'Sewer deaths rampant, states refuse to report' - Times of India

Bit by bit, homeowners' land in Plantersville is being saved from forced tax sales.

Theresa White came to the predominantly Gullah community of Jackson Village in the Plantersville area of Georgetown County on Monday, Aug. 28, with a big check - and four smaller pieces of paper that mean a lot.

She's executive director and founder of the Pan-African Family Empowerment Network at St. Helena Island in Beaufort County.

White has been to Plantersville before, helping save the homes of seven families by paying taxes and fees for those who would otherwise lose their property to forced tax sales. The total amount she broughtAug. 28 was $10,870.30.

Shell be back again Saturday, Sept. 2, when she joins the Rev. Ben Grate and others for a protest rally against similar tax sales and a $250 annual sewer assessment fee that is to be paid every year for 20 years.

Unwanted project

When White met with three of the four people whose property her group redeemed from the forced tax sale, they each said they didnt need and didnt want the sewer project that they said was forced on them.

Aug. 28 was a rainy day as White traveled about 150 miles from Beaufort to Grate's home in Jackson Village.

That community, along with Annie Village, St. Pauls and Bromell Town all part of Plantersville are in an area where the Georgetown County Water and Sewer District put in a sewer system a few years ago.

A process starting about 2006 was designed to bring a sewer system to an area that the GCWSD and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control said had failing septic tank systems. They were so bad, a DHEC report asserted at the time, that two of those traditional Gullah "village" areas were in danger of imminent health hazards.

People opposed to the sewer system and to development were vocal during a series of meetings in 2006 and 2007 about both the sewer project and county-wide zoning.

Several plantation owners and others pooled their money and paid for repairs or replacements to about 20 individual failing septic systems.

Over time, the GCWSD through its meetings and mailings to property owners secured signatures on agreements that gave it a go-ahead for the project.

Since that time, however, many landowners said they didnt know what they were agreeing to when they signed documents. Others say they never signed and didnt think they should have to pay for a sewer system they didnt need and didnt want.

Just repaired the septic system

Truman Morant grew up in Plantersville, and has been living in a house on property belonging to his dad for 10 years.

I had just had mine (septic tank) redone. I spent about $1,200 for repairs, Morant said. About one or two years later, they said you have to tie in to the sewer system.

He couldnt pay the $3,600 connection fee at once, so $150 per month was added to his water bill.

Morant, his wife, fivechildren and one grandchild live in the home.

Because of tough financial situations, almost $4,000 in taxes, sewer assessment and fees were due.

The property was getting ready to go to the tax sale, he said.

When the public meetings were held a decade ago, he wasnt able to attend because of his work at the container plant for International Paper Co. His wife and dad went to the meetings.

My father and sister are (now) also facing the possibility of a tax sale of their property, he said.

Morant was greatly relieved Aug. 28 when White brought a check for $3,789.30.

Thank you, Jesus, because I didnt have the money to pay it, he said. "Me hearing about this (payment) was the best thing I heard.

Because of the heavy rain on Aug. 28 and other factors, White didnt reach Plantersville until about 6:30 p.m.

She met the people her PAFEN group was helping and then on Aug. 29, she went to the Georgetown County Treasurers Office to pay the four bills.

Didnt sign

Jamie Moore, 41, is a single mom with three children who has lived in her house for almost her whole life.

I didnt have a failing septic tank, Moore said. I actually stood in the way to keep them from digging a hole, because I didnt need sewer.

Moore said she keeps hearing about "majority rules, but believes she shouldn't have been forced into this situation.

The land is in my sisters name. She still hasnt signed a paper," said Moore, adding that her sister was serving in the military service in Colorado at the time the GCWSD agreements were in the mail.

My uncle Earle went down there, and told them they couldnt put it there, Moore said. "The water and sewer bill comes to her. Three years ago, the house caught on fire. They condemned the house."

Despite the condemnation, the sewer bill still comes.

I can pay $100 a year to clean out my septic tank. I cannot pay for the sewer," Moore said. "I didnt tell them to put sewer there. I didnt need it. My septic is working fine."

My question is, how can they put something on another persons property?

Moore is grateful for the help from donors who made the checks through PAFEN available. The amount White brought to redeem Moore's home was $2,610.30.

When asked, what about next years taxes and fees?, Moore said My sister is going to try to get it removed.

Didnt know about assessment

Rochelle Grate and her husband and child have been in their home in Jackson Village for 11 years. She grew up in Plantersville.

My septic tank is fine," Rochelle Grate said. "I just had gotten it when the sewer lines were put in.

She went to the meetings in the community about the sewer project.

At the time, we had a grant. They said it was necessary because of drainage and everything, Rochelle Grate said. "I didnt find out about the $250 (annual) assessment until they started putting stickers on the door.

That was a notice that the house was subject to being sold because of the unpaid fees and taxes.

I thought it was something where they made a mistake,Rochelle Grate said. I didnt hear about the sewer fee until the first part of the year when they started saying they were going to sell my home. There was no way I could pay that amount of money.

White brought a check for $2,052.30 to redeem Rochelle Grates property and keep it from going to a tax sale.

My husband is disabled so we didnt pay taxes. The water is in with the in-laws. But yet, still, I have to pay sewer, Rochelle Grate said. Going forward, Im going to have to deal with it the best way I can. Ill see if I can figure something out.

Another homeowner, Joseph Enoch, wasnt able to be there to meet White. The taxes and fees her organization paid on his behalf totaled $2,418.20.

Record day

This is the most weve done in one day, White said Aug. 28.

Not only was that important for the for these homeowners, but it was also the fourth anniversary of when her group was organized.

The Pan-African Family Empowerment Network was founded to commemorate two major events the March on Washington (Aug. 28, 1963) and a 1992 Pan African event in Savannah, Georgia.

People from all over the world came to that event.

That was the first time I ever heard the word Gullah, White said. We never knew that word when I was growing up. We were familiar with Geechee.

Whites been working in Beaufort, Colleton and now Georgetown counties to help people facing loss of their homes because of taxes and fees.

Previously, shes made two other trips to help save or redeem land for three others in the Plantersville area.

Overall, PAFEN has helped save more than $2.5 million of property at their assessed values.

We are going to help people in other places, she said.

Evelyn Bromell, who also lives in the Plantersville area, is going to be helping the organization with fund raising efforts.

White said they will keep the GoFundMe account but are looking for other ways to raise money.

Protest rally

The Rev. Ben Grate, White and others will be speaking and sharing with community members at a protest rally Saturday, Sept. 2, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The rally will be held at the Plantersville community park on Jackson Village Road, next to the Plantersville Community Center at 1458 Exodus Road.

Along with flyers in the community, Grates contacted people who live in other states about the rally, asking them to come to Plantersville on Sept. 2.

Grate led a protest in July 2016 on the steps of the State Capitol in Columbia about the sewer project, and he will update people at the rally on efforts to protest the sewer assessment, zoning and other difficulties.

Hes also filed a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development over the sewer project. He will share information about his complaint during the rally.

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Gullah Lives: PAFEN saves three more Plantersville properties - South Strand news

Floodwaters carry harmful bacteria and other disease agents from overflowing sewer and septic systems and farmyards as well as toxic spills from manufacturing sites. Hazardous objects and displaced wildlifecan hide in floodwaters. Hazards can float indebris piles, too, including rafts of fire ants. Heed public warnings wherever you are working, including boil water notices.

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials urge volunteers to wear protective clothing, including rubber boots and gloves, to limit exposure to bacteria and other infectious diseases, such as typhoid.Avoid putting your hands near your face when working.

And don't poke the fire ant pile, since that will trigger a swarm.

In addition, be sure the main power source to anyhome or business is turned off to limit risk of electrocution, particularly if the building flooded above theelectrical outlets. An electrician should evaluate whether wires and plugs need to be replaced before turning the power back on.

If you need more information on how to clean and disinfect a home or business, consult reliable sources, such as theFEMA website.

Sources: Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas A&M University and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

What do you want to know? Email your question for Insight Denton to pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com.

FEATURED PHOTO: Menion Brock and Michelle Green clean up their home, damaged by floodwaters of Tropical Storm Harvey, in the Parkway Forest subdivision of Houston. AP File Photo

Originally posted here:
Insight Denton: I'm headed to Houston to help clean up. Just how dirty is that flood water? - Denton Record Chronicle

Four years ago, Parliament passed a law that bans human beings from manually cleaning sewers and septic tanks. However, as the increasing number of fatalities of sanitation workers in sewers across India makes clear, this law is honoured more in the breach.

In the national capital Delhi alone, 10 people died in four separate incidents between July 15 and August 20 after they were sent without any safety equipment to clean sewers and tanks. Of them, some died when they jumped in to rescue fellow workers who had collapsed inside after inhaling toxic gases.

There is no political will to implement the law, said Bezwada Wilson, national convener of the Safai Karmachari Andolan, a human rights organisation that has been campaigning for the complete eradication of manual scavenging. It is not only in Delhi, it has been so in the entire country. Nobody seems concerned about the dignity of the underprivileged ones who get the dirty job done risking their lives.

Wilson pointed out that there is still no official national database for such deaths. Data collected by the Safai Karmachari Andolan revealed that this year alone, across India, at least 90 workers lost their lives an average of 11 people a month while cleaning sewers, drains and septic tanks.

Following the deaths of sanitation workers in the national capital over July and August, the Delhi government announced that all sewer cleaning would henceforth only be done using machines. But it is yet to draw up an action plan for this proposal, whose implementation is likely to face a number of challenges. Besides the apathy that Wilson referred to, Delhis drains, sewers and storm water drains are managed by multiple authorities who, in turn, outsource sewer cleaning work to several third-party contractors making it difficult to monitor them.

Section 7 of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, prohibits persons from being engaged or employed for the hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. However, the Act is silent about alternative methods to get the job done. In December 2013, the Government of India came up with the Rules for this law that mention the mechanical equipment and devices that should be used for this work. The Rules also lay down guidelines for emergency situations that might demand human intervention in the cleaning process.

However, the Rules do not define what would constitute an emergency situation. Human rights activists say that this ambiguity is often exploited by contractors to hire people for hazardous cleaning work. This works out to be cheaper than buying or hiring machines for the contractors, but is risky for the workers.

Delhi has a multi-level drainage system that is handled by different agencies. While the smaller colony drains come under the jurisdiction of the municipal corporations, the sewer network comes under the Delhi Jal Board, the storm water drains on the main roads and sewer systems inside government premises are maintained by the Public Works Department, and the canal-sized drains are maintained by the Delhi governments Department of Irrigation and Flood Control.

To clean drains under their jurisdiction, municipal agencies employ both nala beldaars (designated drain cleaners on their payrolls) and contract labourers. On paper, the work is fully mechanised. But things differ on the ground.

Cleaning of municipal drains often requires manual intervention as most contractors do not have the necessary machines, said Rajendra Mewati, leader of a sanitation workers union in the city. They do not hesitate to ask sanitation workers to clean the filth manually and the poor men seldom reject the work as they see some extra money coming.

The cleaning of bigger drains and sewers that are maintained by state government agencies is mostly outsourced to contractors.

Wilson said that here too, mechanisation remains on paper. While equipment like jetting and suction machines and safety gear for sanitation workers in case of emergency situations remain there as mandatory on paper, they fail to materialise on the ground, he said.

In the four incidents reported in Delhi over July and August in which 10 workers died, the sanitation workers were found to be doing their jobs without any safety gear. While the employers in two of the cases were private individuals, the police found it difficult to pin responsibility in the other two cases. In these cases, three people died while cleaning a sewer line in South Delhis Lajpat Nagar, which is maintained by the Delhi Jal Board, and one worker died while cleaning a sewer in the premises of the Lok Nayak Hospital in Central Delhi that is maintained by the Public Works Department. Cases of negligence causing death were registered in all cases, but the contractors in the Lajpat Nagar and Lok Nayak Hospital cases are absconding. Delhi Police officials said that the government agencies in these two cases tried to absolve themselves of responsibility claiming they had no knowledge of how contractors were getting the cleaning work done. The police finally arrested a junior Delhi Jal Board engineer and a storekeeper at Lok Nayak Hospital in connection with these cases even as the search for the absconding contractors continues.

These cases have brought to light how the hazardous process of sewer and drain cleaning in the city remains largely unmonitored, said a senior government official who did not wish to be identified. The agencies are now mulling over preparing lists of authorised contractors and training them on the mechanised process. So far, there is no such organised list and no record of action taken against errant contractors. No one was bothered until these cases happened.

For its mechanisation plan, the Delhi government is looking at a model Hyderabad adopted earlier this year in which the citys municipal water supply and sewerage board tied up with the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and provided a group of sanitation workers with small sewer jetting machines, and trained them how to use them. These machines use high pressure jets to clear obstructions in drains and sewers. The people who have been trained, many of whom have manually cleaned drains for years, now oversee the sewer cleaning process in their areas.

We are considering the Hyderabad plan, Delhi Water Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam said on Monday. This weekend, teams from Hyderabad were invited to Delhi and we had long discussions on the matter. Just give us some time, we are chalking out a scientific action plan.

But on August 22, a day after Delhi announced 100% mechanisation of sewer and drain cleaning work, the government seemed to backtrack on its mechanisation proposal a little. There are areas where machines cannot reach, said Water Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam. In cases where human intervention is required, Delhi Jal Board officials will supervise the work. Workers will be sent in only after equipping them with safety gear.

This did not go down well with human rights activists.

In an age when machines are being sent to Mars, how can any government agency claim that there are areas in the city in which sewer cleaning machines cannot be sent, asked Wilson.

However, while speaking to Scroll.in on Monday, Gautam shared new plans through which the Delhi government plans to ensure that machines, and not people, cleaned the citys sewers.

Smaller machines and longer suction pipes will be arranged for congested areas, and all future tenders of sewer cleaning shall be floated keeping such requirements in mind, he said. We are aiming at making sewer cleaning in Delhi a 100% mechanised and organised process in which all parties involved will be registered and proper accountability is established at each stage.

Wilson pointed out that smaller machines have been around for a while now and could have been used earlier too. Everything comes back to the question of political will, he emphasised. It is sad that it took them so many deaths to wake up.

But even if the government succeeds in ensuring that machines are brought in for cleaning work, will they necessarily work in all situations?

This brings the focus to the larger issue of garbage that clogs up big and small drains and sewers across the country.

A senior Public Works Department official pointed out that storm water drains in Delhi are clogged with solid waste such as construction material and plastic. He said suction machines fail to work in these conditions, which inevitably demand manual intervention. It is a failure at multiple levels in which multiple agencies play their roles, the official said. A 100% mechanisation plan will never materialise unless such inefficiencies are addressed.

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Can Delhi really implement its plan to fully mechanise drain and sewer cleaning? - Scroll.in

Mike Gleason Daily News Staff @MGleason_MDN

BELLINGHAM - The town has revised a proposed project that would bring sewer service to the Wethersfield neighborhood, and will look to speak to residents in the coming months.

The Board of Selectmen decided the narrow the scope of the project after seeking feedback from those who live on certain streets within the neighborhood.

Town Administrator Denis Fraine said the board had opted to remove Wethersfield Road and Kathy Drive from the project, citing resident disinterest. Town officials had noted that, as those areas are less dense, the cost for adding sewer there would be higher per household.

Though officials had also considered cutting Monique Drive, Fraine said those residents had shown enough of an interest that the street was retained within the project.

Fraine said there will be an informational meeting for the neighborhood as a whole at Bellinghan High School on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.

Selectmen Chairman Michael Soter said the meeting would discuss the scope of the project, project the betterment costs for neighborhood houses and gauge support for the work.

"To me, the pulse of the neighborhood is very 50-50," he said, noting the project will not pass if there is no local groundswell. "It's up to the people to decide, not the Board of Selectmen."

Soter said residents of the neighborhood had approached him in the past, asking the town to consider sewers in Wethersfield. The lot sizes in the neighborhood are small, he said, and septic systems cut into the usable portion of residents' plots. He said, beyond that, a sewer hookup generally makes a house more valuable to potential buyers.

A proposed Taunton Street rebuild forced the issue, Soter said. As the main sewer line would be under that road, the sewer expansion would either have to take place during that project, or be put on hold for years.

Mike Gleason can be reached at 508-634-7546 or mgleason@wickedlocal.com. For news throughout the day, follow him on Twitter @MGleason_MDN.

The rest is here:
Bellingham board revises scope of sewer expansion - Milford Daily News

SAUGERTIES, N.Y. >> District trustees are upset that a sewer line has yet to be repaired at Mount Marion Elementary School, more than two years after bathrooms in nine classrooms were closed to prevent further problems.

At a Board of Education meeting Tuesday, board members said an opportunity to secure emergency funds from the state had been missed because corrective action was not taken.

Theres a dip in the sewer pipe heading into the septic system at Mount Marion in one of the hallways, Trustee Robert Thomann said.

Officials said the delay apparently involves finding time to remove asbestos tiles that are above the sewer line, but that work would have to be scheduled when students are not in the building.

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This whole item was put out for emergency request back in ... 2015 and it wasnt followed through, Trustee Paul VanSchaack said. So right now were back to the ... drawing board to find out exactly what happened.

Information was not immediately available on the cost to repair the line or the amount that would have been covered by the state.

Mount Marion Elementary School Principal Carole Kelder said the bathrooms were closed to avoid clogging the line.

In some of the classrooms, the little ones they use a little too much toilet paper, she said. So we decide we would not have them use the bathrooms. We would have them go down the hallway and use the gang bathrooms.

Trustee Raymond Maclary said administrators should have put the repair on a higher priority.

I know in my house, if a bathroom didnt work, we wouldnt just stop using it, he said.

Trustee Elena Maskell was also troubled that the problem, which has left odors in the building, had not been resolved.

I dont understand how its possible to allow a sewer issue to get dropped, she said. The health and welfare of our students and staff have been at risk for two years. That does not sit right with me and I cant get past that.

Superintendent Seth Turner said the repairs were delayed because there was asbestos abatement involved and work needed to be done while students were not in the building.

I want everybody to be assured that the health, safety and welfare of the children, the staff, the students, and the people who are in our facilities is put number one, he said. At no point would I or any person with whom I work ever put somebody ... at risk.

Turner added that the significance of the problem did not previously seem to rise to the concerns being raised at the board meeting, but said it had been discussed earlier this year by a district committee.

If I recall correctly, the December 2015 minutes indicated there were no sanitary issues, no plumbing issues, he said. So I apologize. This did go off the radar until it got brought back up in June (2017), but was it intended to be in the capital improvement project. That answer is yes.

Read more:
Delay on sewer line repair at Mount Marion school bothers trustees - The Daily Freeman

Athens City Council voted Monday to approve an ordinance finalizing an agreement between the city and Athens County for the city to provide sewer-collection and treatment services to a portion of the county southwest of Athens thats currently plagued with failing septic systems.

Embedded in the agreement is a requirement that no more than 4 percent of the 1,500 equivalent single-family units (ESFU) taps in the area of the sewer district expansion (roughly defined as the Athens-to-Albany corridor, though including spurs from that area) will be for commercial uses, and no more than 1 percent of those taps will be for industrial uses.

Any additional taps beyond (those limits for the 1,500 ESFUs) must be subject to a separate future agreement between the county and the city, the agreement reads.

City Engineer Andy Stone explained that the sewer-expansion project on the countys part is meant to solve a pollution problem that exists right now and is a significant public-health and environmental concern. The project has been on the countys radar for over 20 years, after the Ohio EPA sent a notice in 1995 detailing environmental concerns related to the use of septic-tank systems in rural areas southwest of the city of Athens that were seeing substantial residential growth, specifically in subdivision development.

The Athens City-County Health Department has called failing septic systems in that area, and other parts of the county, one of the biggest public-health issues facing the county. Since 1995, the county Commissioners have been moving by fits and starts toward a plan to install a central sanitary sewer collection system.

Its not an economic development project to where we (the city) are looking to promote a bunch of growth out there, Stone clarified. The city is concerned about too much growth out there versus in the city, because the city has an income tax and would prefer to have economic development inside the city limits. Were not going to be party to a sewage system thats going to incentivize business to move outside the city.

County Commissioner Lenny Eliason said in a brief interview Wednesday morning a public meeting will be held the last week of September on the sewer expansion project. At that meeting, he said, the Commissioners expect to reach a decision on whether or not to proceed with the rest of the project. An engineering firm for the county already has designed 60 percent of the project, and the Commissioners are awaiting further information from the federal government on how much of the project will be grant-funded. The Commissioners are hoping for a 60 percent loan/40 percent grant split for the $20 million project. The loan/grant split is a key piece of information for the commissioners as they are concerned about the projects affordability for residents. They previously set a benchmark that the per-month sewer bill rate for homeowners in the project area should not exceed $79.

The county will pay for extension of sanitary sewer lines from three separate points in the city of Athens sewer lines.

Other regulations spelled out in the city-county agreement include:

If the sewage being treated by the city coming from the county expansion exceeds 2.1 million gallons per day on nine separate occasions per year, the city can direct the county to design and construct additional treatment facilities.

The county will pay a $3,000 per equivalent single-family-home capacity fee.

Stone stressed that the city wants to help improve sewer services in the region, but must protect its own interests.

Its a project to address an existing pollution problem to protect the environment, he said. Thats our number one concern. Right now, Margarets Creek and the Hocking River are really suffering pollution from failing septic systems.

More:
Commercial/industrial taps limited in county sewer project - Athens NEWS

RIB-OFF ON Broadway isnt just for rib lovers anymore! Thats because this years event is being reimagined as the first-ever Hancock Federal Credit Unions Street Feast, a gathering of regional cuisine and food from across Ohio. Hungry crowds will discover all types of dishes at the event, including Dietsch Brothers ice cream, Firehouse Subs, Kimmels Mountain Man Meats, Kona Ice, Smokin Buckeye BBQ and more! The event will take place Aug. 5 on Broadway. (Photo provided)

Rib-Off on Broadway will be re-imagined as the first-ever Hancock Federal Credit Unions Street Feast, presented by the Arts Partnership.The event runs from 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, on Broadway between Main Cross and Front streets.The Flag City Corvettes 11th annual community cruise and downtown car show, Car Tunes on Main, will be held the same day.Street Feast highlights regional cuisine as well as food from across the state.Regional food vendors include Dietsch Brothers ice cream, Little Red, Kona Ice, Smokin Buckeye BBQ, Firehouse Subs, and Kimmels Mountain Man Meats. Joining the event from across Ohio are Blue Chew, Cazuelas, and Nikos Street Eats.Live music will play on the main stage throughout the event.Performers include: Ryan Parker Band performs at 4, with the bands namesake a singer-songwriter from Ohio. The group performs original songs in addition to covers stamped with their style of folk, pop and soul. James and Some Names will perform at 6, spanning a variety of musical styles including jazz, rock, funk, folk and bluegrass. Joshua Melton, a singer/songwriter out of Nashville, Tennessee, will perform at 8:30. The Findlay native brings identifiable lyrics and melodies, on-point vocals and a unique take on country music, featuring an eclectic list of original songs and cover tunes.Attendees can vote for the peoples choice food vendor by casting a $1 ballot at the event.Admission for the event is $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 and under, and free for children in strollers. All proceeds from Street Feast support the Arts Partnerships growing arts education programs.For more information, call the Arts Partnership at 419-422-4624 or visit http://www.artspartnership.com.Street Feast is sponsored by Hancock Federal Credit Union, Beerco, Tall Timbers Industrial Park, Alvada Construction, Bugners Sewer and Septic Cleaning, Valfilm, The Courier, WKXA, WFIN, 106.3 The Fox, Hancock County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Findlay, Sunbelt Rentals, TJD Industrial Services, and LaRiche Chevrolet Cadillac.Car Tunes on Main will be held the same day, with registration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is open to all vehicles.The community cruise will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cruisers will register at LaRiche Chevrolet Cadillac, 215 E. Main Cross St. The cruisers will make pit stops throughout the community.The downtown car show will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Cars will be parked on downtown streets as they enter at East Main Cross Street.Car show awards will be presented at 6 p.m., and winners must be present to receive awards.Car Tunes benefits Open Arms Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis Services. The major sponsor is the LaRiche Family of Dealerships.Additional information on Car Tunes is available by calling 419-348-3827 or by emailing drjensen15@yahoo.com

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Weekend: Get a taste of our area - The Courier

Sewer service may be on its way to the Arco neighborhood in the next few years if a cooperative effort works out between Glynn County Commissioner Allen Booker and the Brunswick-Glynn Joint Water and Sewer Commission.

From my understanding they do not (all have sewer), a lot of places have septic, Booker said. I know my district, I know people that live over there and dont have sewer.

Booker is proposing to use money from the Community Development Block Grant to get the job done.

Ive asked them to work with us to go after a CDBG grant to run water and sewer, to expand it over into Arco, Booker said.

According to the countys grant writer, Monica Hardin, the grant covers a number of things, including water and sewer expansion into low-income areas. The grant, worth $750,000, must be used for activities that help low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, according to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Departments website.

Nothing will be done this year, however, as the deadline for applying for the grant has passed. The deadline for the next block grant is April 2018, Hardin said.

Utility Executive Director Jimmy Junkin said its still early in the conversation, but the JWSC is already considering some more modern techniques to keep the projects cost within the budget they will have available. If they can do the work with the money from the grant, they will seriously look at moving forward with the project.

Using the sewer system will not be mandatory. According to the countys ordinances, someone is only required to tap in if they are building a new structure or significantly altering an existing one within 500 feet of a sewer line.

This effort to expand the sewer system is part of a larger push by Booker to fight poverty in Arco, a neighborhood which mostly just outside of the Brunswick city limits. Booker said he has already met with members of county staff to put together a preliminary plan to start doing more to improve the neighborhood.

He said Hardin had already been successful in securing a grant for rehabilitating three parks in the neighborhood to give residents access to more outdoor activities.

Along with the renovations to parks and expansion of sewer infrastructure, Booker is also looking to get the residents personally involved in their neighborhood through an Arco planning assembly. The assembly would organize tasks such as community cleanups.

Booker said most of his plan is still preliminary, and that he will elaborate further as it comes together.

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Booker pushing for sewer service for the rest of Arco - Brunswick News