This is the proposed route of the sewer line extension the Westport Weston Family Y hopes to install at its planned new facility at Mahackeno. The proposed line would connect to the town’s existing municipal sewer line.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Inzitari

Peter Romano, a partner at the Westport-based environmental and engineering consulting firm Land-Tech Consultants Inc., explains the proposed sewer line Wednesday night.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Inzitari

WESTPORT, Conn. – Although the Westport Weston Family Y already has the necessary approvals to install an in-ground septic system at its planned new facility on its Mahackeno campus, Y officials are looking to instead connect to the town’s sewer system.

Hooking up to the Westport sanitary sewer system, versus installing a septic system, would be more beneficial for the town, Family Y CEO Rob Reeve told a roomful of residents that live in the neighborhoods around the planned new facility.

"Over 100 trees in total would have to be clear cut with the septic system,” Reeves said Wednesday night, explaining that the sewer line would save those trees. That’s about 1.5 acres of woodlands, he said.

Peter Romano, a partner at Land-Tech Consultants Inc., a Westport-based environmental and engineering consulting firm, said the proposed Y sewer line would travel from the Mahackeno facility, under Lee’s Pond, down Calumet Lane, then down part of Clinton Avenue to Oak Street, where it would connect with Westport’s existing line.

This, he said, would enable residents of those areas to hook up to the municipal sewer line, if they chose. And because the line is being installed by the Y, not the town, he said it will cost residents almost nothing.

“Neighbors will have to pay a sewer use fee, but you’ll have no assessment [fees] associated with the installation, unlike municipal projects," Romano said.

The proposed line would be 2,500 feet long and 3 inches in diameter, Romano said. It would be made of PVC piping and, because it would be thermo-fused, he said it would essentially be one continuous pipe. This would better protect against leaks. But to be on the safe side, Romano said, the line would also be equipped with a built-in alarm that would notify of any leaks.

The Y sewer line would also have a backup generator, just in case of power outages, Romano said.

Because of its design, Reeves said, the sewer line would better protect the Saugatuck River.

Martin Yellin, a former chairman of the Conservation Commission, voiced his support for the proposed sewer line, saying  it is “more desirable” over the installation of a septic system.

The Y recently submitted an application to Westport to connect to the municipal sanity sewer system. The Board of Selectmen, acting in its capacity as the Water Pollution Control Authority, will review the application at a public hearing in April, Romano said.

Construction on the planned new facility is slated to begin in October.

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New Westport Weston Y Prefers Sewer Over Septic

ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE: According to UNICEF, 2.6 billion people, almost entirely in the developing world, use bucket, public or open (uncovered) latrines, if they use latrines at all. Image: Courtesy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Chances are that if you are reading this, you have a private flush toilet a few steps from your bed. Your commode is more reliable than your mobile connection, and likely will outlast all of your home appliances. Yet huge tracts of the developing world have yet to see so much as a latrine, a situation that facilitates the spread of debilitating or even deadly diarrheal diseases.

Advocates for universal access to and use of basic personal sanitation hope their efforts will get a big boost in August, when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation present several hygienic innovations developed through its Reinventing the Toilet Challenge. Technology alone might help with failing sewers in industrialized countries, but for poor nations, where changing social norms is more important, the Gates Foundation is a powerful ally. The foundation's involvement could do for sanitation what it has accomplished in the battle to eradicate malaria—raise the visibility of a fundamental health care crisis and encourage new efforts to end it.

Toilet tech
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2.6 billion people, almost entirely in the developing world, use bucket, public or open (uncovered) latrines—if they use latrines at all. Of that total, 1.1 billion people defecate in the open—a social norm in some societies, but one that results in typhoid, cholera, dysentery and other diseases.

One of the foundation's efforts in this fight was to spread $3 million in grants last summer among engineering teams at eight research institutions in North America, Asia, Africa and Europe, including the California Institute of Technology, South Africa's University of KwaZulu–Natal and National University of Singapore. The foundation approached about 20 institutions, eight of which took up the challenge. These teams were charged with developing concepts that: do not use piped-in water; are not connected to a sewer system; do not use outside electricity; and will not cost more than 5 cents per visitor per day to operate, including initial investment and ongoing maintenance.

Several prototypes have been proposed: A team at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands proposes using microwaves to turn human waste into carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which would be stored in solid-oxide fuel stacks to generate electricity. Teams at Loughborough University in England and Stanford University are working separately on methods that involve turning waste into charcoal, or biochar.

At the University of Toronto, researchers are building a system that sanitizes feces (dehydrated after running it between two rollers) by smoldering it. The system decontaminates urine via membrane filtration and ultraviolet radiation. Meanwhile, Caltech researchers have proposed a solar-powered toilet that generates hydrogen for fuel cells from the waste.

Frank Rijsberman, director of the Gates Foundation's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Initiative, says he is hoping for something that goes beyond the minimum criteria to become the "iPad of sanitation." He says, "There must be an aspirational element" to toilets or even latrines if they are going to become the norm. People have to want to be seen owning one.

Sanitation marketing
This last point is more important than one might think. After all, what arguments for toilets could be more persuasive than hygiene and health? The numbers alone would seem capable of convincing any adult mind that open defecation is disastrous. For instance, the World Health Organization says 1.5 million children alone suffer miserable deaths each year from diarrhea, a common outcome of poor sanitation. It turns out, however, that getting people to climb the first rung of what is called the sanitation ladder to improved waste-disposal practices is a complex social endeavor.

For example, although some people, particularly women and girls who risk being assaulted while crouching alone at night in the open, might opt for latrines and toilets where available, others say they prefer the experience of open defecation. To them, it is a natural practice going back generations.

Nonprofits and government agencies trying to end open defecation historically have parachuted into villages armed with health statistics, subsidies and latrines. Those involved in the battle say such campaigns are viewed locally as, at best, irrelevant and, at worst, as condescending noblesse oblige. Return visits revealed that if the facilities were used at all, they became grain stores, animal pens or even kitchens.

Even the Gates Foundation, Rijsberman says, is putting more money into toilet technology than behavioral efforts, but it recognizes the limits of technology in changing social norms. He says the foundation has also issued grants for "sanitation marketing programs" in Indonesia, India and Tanzania, for example.

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Wasting Away: Can a Gates Foundation-Funded Toilet-Design Initiative End a Foul Practice in the Developing World?

With October targeted as the start of construction for a new Westport Weston Family Y at the Camp Mahackeno property, Y leaders are seeking approval to connect the facility to the town's municipal sewer system.

The Y's proposal envisions extending a sewer line to the new center either under Lee's Pond or under Wilton Road. If approved by the town's Board of Selectmen, a Mahackeno sewer connection would supplant the Y's current plan to install an in-ground septic system. Both the town and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection have approved a septic system at Mahackeno.

"We have the opportunity to do something that might be preferable to others, and it certainly is to us," Family Y Chief Executive Officer Rob Reeves said of the Y's sewer proposal. "But it doesn't mean that we don't think what we have approved will work. It will work."

Reeves and other Y leaders argue that connecting the new Y to the town's sewer system would have several advantages compared to setting up a septic system at the 32-acre Mahackeno site. A sewer connection would save more than 100 trees, which would have to be cut down to install the septic system at Mahackeno, Y leaders said in a Feb. 16 statement. Establishing a sewer connection for Mahackeno would also protect the Saugatuck River, as wastewater from the new facility would be transported to the town's sewage treatment facility, Y officials said. Building a sewer line to Mahackeno would also cost less than installing a septic system for the Y and would avoid town expenditures associated with monitoring a septic system, the Y's statement also said.

Installing a sewer line to Mahackeno would not affect the construction schedule of the new Y center, Reeves said.

If the town were to approve a sewer line extension under Lee's Pond, a part of the Saugatuck River, that route could enable nearby residences to connect to the municipal sewer system, Reeves said.

"There are people around there who would appreciate having sewers nearby," Reeves said. "We're not going to sewer the whole neighborhood by doing this, but we'd be going in an area that would benefit quite a few folks, and that's a win-win."

Y leaders also announced last week that they will pursue a "phased" building strategy for building the Mahackeno Y. While the Y gained approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2008 for a 102,000-square-foot facility at Mahackeno, plans now call for a 55,000-square-foot main building to be built initially. The phased construction approach is modeled after the construction of other new YMCAs, such as the Soundview Family YMCA in Branford, Reeves said.

The Mahackeno Y is scheduled to open in late 2014, and construction of the first phase will cost about $36 million. In addition to $12 million raised from a capital campaign, the Y will finance phase one construction through the sale of its downtown building as well as borrowing, Reeves said.

Eventually, the Y plans to develop the Mahackeno facility to its fully planned 102,000-square-foot capacity, which could accommodate a membership of approximately 8,000, Reeves said. The Y's current center in downtown Westport has about 5,500 members.

"It is the typical way to do it, a phased project, as you raise enough money, as your building gets busy," Reeves said. "As we need to, we'll grow the project from there."

So far, the Y has raised about $6 million through its "Building What Matters" capital campaign and plans to reach its $12 million fundraising target when construction of the Mahackeno center begins in October, Reeves added.

The Y will hold a public information session about its Mahackeno sewer connection proposal on at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, at its downtown headquarters, 59 Post Road East.

The Board of Selectmen, acting in its capacity as the town's Water Pollution Control Authority, has not yet set a date for a public hearing to review the Y's proposal for the Mahackeno sewer line.

pschott@bcnnew.com; 203-255-4561, ext. 118; twitter.com/paulschott.

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Mahackeno Y revisions: Sewer line proposed; build in phases

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Presby Environmental Inc. - Advanced Enviro-Septic Wastewater Treatment System - Video

16-06-2011 12:42 At George's Septic Tank Service, Inc. we provide complete residential, commercial and industrial septic tank service. Our family-owned and locally operated business has provided quality service in Central Oregon since 1963. Our services include repairs, septic pumping, sewer lines, septic cleaning and maintenance, plumbing inspections, and restaurant grease traps

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Posted: Sunday, February 19, 2012 8:03 pm | Updated: 8:15 pm, Sun Feb 19, 2012.

Two weeks after killing off the short-lived transportation impact fees, Kalispell City Council members are staring at a whopping $2,846 proposed increase to more than double the city's wastewater impact fee.

The proposal would push the fee from $2,499 to $5,345 per single-family home or "equivalent residential unit" for new construction.

Also on the table is a reduction to the base water impact fee, from $2,213 to $1,930.

A 122-page study completed in August 2010 makes the case for the impact fees, which are charged to new construction, additions and renovation projects that put more demand on infrastructure and services.

The study lays out service demand projections and lists of costs and system needs - some moving targets - that arise based on how growth materializes in five, 10 and 20 years.

The fees aren't rocket science. But in a staff report to council members, Public Works Director Bill Shaw explains the proposed adjustments simply: starship Kalispell needs them.

"A city's infrastructure could be analogous to the confines of a spaceship," Shaw wrote in the two-page memo.

"No matter how you look at it, you can reside on the spaceship for the cost of rent, monthly fees and taxes, but if you want to develop a new unit or demand, it's going to cost something additional," Shaw wrote.

"The rules are specific about how that cost is calculated and the [impact] fee applied."

Impact fees are dedicated to help pay for growth-related infrastructure costs, keeping those costs off customer rates that provide for maintenance and operations.

Wastewater and water are the city's longest-running impact fees. Before, they were known as connection fees or system development charges.

State law says impact fees must be reviewed and adjusted every two years. These proposals are coming out almost two years behind schedule.

THE PROPOSED impact fee adjustments for wastewater and water have been sitting on a shelf in City Hall for 19 months, as Kalispell first worked out five years of annual sewer rate increases that go into effect in July.

"Equivalent residential unit" is the basic measurement used to calculate fees for larger development projects. For wastewater, that's 265 gallons of sewage per day, the typical usage of a single-family home.

A new school, for example, would be charged .03 equivalent residential units per student. Hospitals are charged 1 equivalent residential unit per bed.

Hotels and motels are charged .25 of an equivalent residential unit per room with additional charges for restaurant, tavern and laundry areas and fractions of a unit for their various plumbing fixtures.

Kalispell's wastewater impact fee is split into two components, one for the collection system and one for the treatment plant. To calculate the fees, growth-related system costs past, present and future are tallied up and divided by the projected number of future customers.

The proposed fee has the collection component increasing from $1,064 to $1,901 and the treatment component increasing from $1,435 to $3,444.

For wastewater treatment, between 2009 and 2035, Kalispell is projected to grow from 15,933 to 37,359 equivalent residential units and to see its average daily sewage flows increase from 4.22 to 9.9 million gallons.

The proposed $5,345 wastewater impact fee per equivalent residential unit can be broken down further:

• $185 per equivalent residential unit for $157,786 of administrative costs;

• $244 per equivalent unit for $1.77 million of future capital improvements to the collection system;

• $1,029 per equivalent residential unit for $21.3 million of committed collection system expansions;

• $561 per equivalent residential unit for $4.5 million of existing collection system costs eligible for impact fee reimbursement, including lines dating back to 1940; and

• $3,325 per unit for $41.4 million of past work and future projects at the wastewater treatment plant. That includes $16 million of the $21.6 million expansion completed in 2009, the biggest driver of the fee increase.

THE PROPOSED water impact fee of $1,930 would be paid for a 3/4-inch water meter connection.

Following that basic rate, "weighted" fees would be $4,825 for a 1-inch meter, $9,650 for a 1.5-inch meter, $15,440 for a 2-inch meter and $30,880 for a 3-inch meter. Fees would be calculated individually for larger connections.

Demand for water is projected to grow from 12,462 equivalent residential units and peak demand of 15.31 million gallons a day in 2009 to 34,139 equivalent residential units and peak demand of 41.93 million gallons a day in 2035.

The water impact fee can be broken down as:

• $80 per equivalent residential unit for $2.76 million of existing and future well costs, including construction of one new well;

• $92 per unit for $112,241 of administrative costs;

• $134 per equivalent residential unit for $4.6 million of existing pumping plant costs eligible for impact fee reimbursement, going back as far as 1913;

• $219 per equivalent residential unit for $1.59 million of future transmission system capital improvements costs;

• $460 per unit for $15.7 million of existing and future storage costs, including construction of three new reservoirs.

• $945 per equivalent residential unit for $7.6 million of existing transmission costs eligible for impact fee reimbursement, including lines dating back to 1911 and 1924.

At Tuesday's meeting, council members will consider resolutions that would set a March 19 public hearing for the proposed wastewater and water impact fee adjustments.

Charles Harball, city attorney and interim city manager, said a work session on the issue will likely be set for Feb. 27, if council members agree.

"We would spend that going over everything with the council and the public, sort of a primer on the methodology," he said.

Kalispell also charges impact fees for stormwater, police and fire services. With the proposed adjustments for wastewater and water, the total amount of impact fees charged for construction of a single-family home would increase from $6,357 to $8,920.

In his report, Shaw defended the total as about 5 percent of Kalispell's median home price, $187,000. He said the costs to install a septic system and well for a similar home in the county would likely be higher, closer to 9 percent.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.

 

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Kalispell considers boosting some impact fees

It's a tiny home, but promoters contend it is energy self-sufficient and environmentally green.

Powered by solar panels and propane gas, the 400-square-foot home is designed to eliminate the need for an electric utility connection. It also offers the option of using a "gray water" filtering system and toilets that don't need to be linked to a septic tank or sewer.

The portable "off-the-grid" house is on display in Modesto through Feb. 26.

"Everything is self-contained," said Steven Lefler of Modular Lifestyles Inc., the company promoting the home as an affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional housing.

"The cost of building a home on empty land is astronomical because of what it takes to connect to utilities," Lefler said.

That doesn't mean this home is a bargain. It's priced at $69,500 — which works out to $174 per square foot — not counting the cost of land, site preparation or building permits.

By comparison, the median sales price for existing Stanislaus County homes, including the lots they're built on, is about $80 per square foot, according to DataQuick, a real estate research firm.

"This home works in places that have high costs," Lefler said about his so-called green alternative.

The Olive Lane Estates mobile home park hopes a larger version of the home will attract new tenants to its Claus Road community.

"We're set to buy five solar homes, and we'll probably rent them," said Michael Ramsey, Olive Lane's regional manager. The park has five empty spaces, so Ramsey said it is going to install two-bedroom, one-bath homes from Modular Lifestyles in those spots. The first of them is expected to arrive this month.

Lefler said those 784-square-foot homes sell for $60,000. He said they do not have as many features as the smaller home now on display.

Because the two-bedroom homes will not have electricity costs, Ramsey said he expects to rent them for $900 per month.

The average rental rate for traditional two-bedroom, one-bath apartments in Modesto is about $790 per month, but they have an average 847 square feet, according to RealFacts, which tracks rental property trends. Typical renters, however, must pay electric bills in addition to rent.

According to the Modesto Irrigation District, homes with 850 square feet or less pay an average electric bill of $115 per month.

The green homes from Modular Lifestyles are built in Arizona and trucked to California. Lefler said they are considered "green" because they have features such as cork flooring, recycled building materials, LED lighting and energy- efficient appliances.

The water heater, stove, furnace and back-up generator are powered by propane. Propane bills would have to be paid separately.

The 400-square-foot version of the home is available for public tours through Feb. 26 at Olive Lane Estates, 4628 Claus Road, Modesto, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and on weekends by appointment, (209) 551-4294.

Bee staff writer J.N. Sbranti can be reached at jnsbranti@modbee.com or (209) 578-2196.

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Living off the grid in green home

STEUBENVILLE - Jefferson County commissioners Thursday discussed several water and sewer department issues including the possibility the county taking over the Smithfield water system.

The subject came up after the reading of a letter from the Smithfield Township trustees who were inquiring about the status of the Bradley water line extension.

Commissioners have received requests from Bradley residents for years to extend a water line to the area outside Smithfield.

County Commissioner Thomas Graham said he has received calls from Smithfield residents wanting the county to take over the village's water system.

The county received a common pleas court judgment against Smithfield for money owed by the village for purchasing county water. Smithfield years ago was forced to tap into the county water system after its wells weren't producing enough water.

Graham said Smithfield currently owes the county $98,000.

"They are in dire straits out there," Graham said.

The county is studying improving its water distribution system in the southern end of the county by installing new pumps and lines with water coming from the Brilliant Water and Sewer District. The county on Thursday signed a new 10-year contract with Brilliant to supply water. There is no increase in the cost compared to the old contract. The new agreement calls for both sides to negotiate a cost increase. The cost will go to arbitration if an agreement can't be reached.

County Commissioner Tom Gentile said the improvement to the distribution system in the southern end of the county is needed prior to any water line extensions in the Smithfield area.

Gentile said the county has no interest in taking over the Smithfield water system because of its problems with leaks. He said the county took over Bergholz's water system, which also has been plagued with leaks.

Graham said Smithfield can't take care of its system.

"They need the county to bail them out," he said, adding the county's water and sewer system already is making repairs to Smithfield's water system.

The county supplies water to Piney Fork after it flows through Smithfield. Shannan Gosbin, county water and sewer department director, said a leak in Smithfield strains and causes damage to the county's pumps outside Brilliant.

Commissioners also amended the time residents of the Crestview-Belvedere area outside Bloomingdale have to connect with that area's new sewer system once it is completed.

The commissioners in January approved action stating residents had 120 days to connect with the new sewer system. The commissioners lowered the time to 90 days on Thursday.

The commissioners also signed a resolution saying it is mandatory to connect to the sewer system.

The county is under an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency mandate to install sewers because of faulty septic systems.

Commissioners have signed construction contracts for the sewers and pump stations but work hasn't begun.

Commissioners also signed a letter of support in applying for an Ohio Department of Development loan to develop an Internet communications system for the oil and gas drilling in the county.

The commissioners' oil and gas committee suggested an Internet-based database to receive and provide information on such topics as employment, education, housing, drilling permits and notices and alerts pertaining to drilling sites.

The county can apply for up to $100,000 to develop and implement the database.

Gentile said information on drilling changes weekly and the county needs such a system to keep track of the changes.

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County talks water issues

A New York City construction firm that has done landmark projects in Westport has been chosen to build the new Westport Weston Family Y at the Mahackeno Outdoors Center.

The Y Thursday announced Turner Construction Co. would break ground in October for the new Y, which will replace the downtown facility.

"Westporters know Turner as the company that has given us a long list of successful community projects, including the reconstruction of Staples High School, renovation of the Westport Country Playhouse, the brand-new Bedford Middle School and the Center for Senior Activities," Steve Halstead, a member of the Family Y Construction Committee, said in a statement. "They understand the Westport and Weston communities and what is required to complete local construction projects on budget and on time."

The Mahackeno Y will include a 55,000-square-foot main building that will house a competitive lap pool and family/teaching pool; a wellness center; a gymnasium; three fitness studios; a child watch area; as well as other amenities.

The Westport Weston Family Y has also filed an application to connect the planned new Y facility to the town's municipal sanitary sewer system. The Family Y has already gained local and state approval to install and operate a septic system, which would provide on-site treatment of wastewater from the new Y facility.

The Y said it would hold an information meeting for its members and the public regarding its plans and designs for the Mahackeno facility on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at the existing Y at 59 Post Road East.

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Builder picked for new Family Y

Construction of the planned new Westport Weston Family Y will be completed in phases, starting with the construction of the main building set to begin in October.

Photo credit: Contributed

WESTPORT, Conn. – Now that a construction company has been hired, the Westport Weston Family Y can move forward with its plans to construct a new facility at its Mahackeno Outdoor Center, the Y announced Thursday.

Turner Construction Co., which worked on several Westport projects, including Bedford Middle School, the Senior Center, reconstruction of Staples High School, and renovation of the Westport Country Playhouse, was recently hired for the project.

Construction is expected to break ground in October. But instead of constructing the planned 102,000-square-foot facility all at once, the Y’s volunteer Board of Directors and Board of Trustees voted to tackle the project in phases.

“While we regret that we can’t construct the whole facility at the same time, we are convinced that it is the most fiscally responsible thing to do,” Jim Marpe, chairman of the Board of Trustees, said in a statement.

“As we explored our options going forward, including a thorough review of several recently built Y facilities in the Northeast, we realized that a ‘phased’ construction process is common. Not only does it make sense economically, it also gives us greater flexibility going forward to meet the evolving needs of the community we’ve served for nearly a century.”

The first phase of construction will begin with a 55,000-square-foot main building that will include a competitive lap pool and family/teaching pool; wellness center; gymnasium; three fitness studios; child watch area; five locker rooms and other amenities.

Building the facility in phases will also allow the Y to keep pace with fundraising for the facility, Bonnie Strittmatter, president of the Board of Directors, said.

“As more dollars are given, we’ll be able to expand our new Family Y and add the rest of the features envisioned in the original design for our Mahackeno campus,” she said.

In moving forward with construction, the Y has filed an application to connect the planned new facility to the town’s municipal sanitary sewer system. The Family Y had previously gained local and state approval to install and operate a septic system that would safely treat wastewater from the new Y facility on site.

“Given the previously stated support of the Conservation Commission and that of First Selectman Gordon F. Joseloff, we are confident that our application to connect to the town’s sewer system will be received favorably and approved by the appropriate local bodies without undue delay,” Family Y CEO Rob Reeves said in the statement.

Family Y officials and its development partners believe utilizing the town’s municipal sewer system will preserve 1.5 acres of Mahackeno’s woodlands, further protect the Saugatuck River, reduce construction and ongoing operational costs, and dispel public concern about the size and location of the septic system.

Family Y members and the public are invited to review plans and designs for the phased-in facility at an informational meeting beginning at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22. The meeting will be held at the Y, 59 Post Road E.

Article Attachment:  revised_site_plan.2.2012.pdf

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Construction on New Westport Y to Begin in October