Expensive. More expensive. Really expensive. These words sum up the cost of dealing with sewage in Rowan.

Town leaders, experts, and citizens gathered in Rowan March 23 to talk about what to do regarding a sewage treatment system for the tiny town. Currently, buildings in Rowan have septic tanks. A few of those tanks are connected to a proper leach field. But the vast majority are connected to one of three or four tile lines that drain into local creeks and eventually the Iowa River. The state says this has to stop.

Human waste was found coming from the tile lines when tests were done about eight years ago, said David Miller of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The federal Clean Water Act of 1972 makes it illegal to drain a septic system into a creek or river. Rowan has been violating federal law for over 40 years, and it has to stop. The DNR doesnt care what method you use, just that you do something.

Here is whats happened so far:

--January 2008: Rowan received a Notice of Violation from the DNR.

--August 2009: A preliminary plan to solve the problem was presented.

--March 2011: The city was offered a $1.13 million grant plus a $590,000 low-interest loan (40 years at 2.5% interest) from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural Development.

--March 2014: City leaders viewed an updated sewer plan.

--Also in March of 2014, Rowan was designated as a Disadvantaged Community which gave city leaders until March 2016 to come up with a general plan, and until September 2018 to submit a compliance plan.

However, the USDA grant and loan offer expires September 30, 2015. So if the town doesnt act by then, it will have to reapply. According to Preston Sandstrom of the USDA, You have to show some progress in the next six months or youll have to apply again. And the money may or may not be there this time. Funding is limited.

Excerpt from:
Will sewer costs bankrupt tiny towns?

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Birmingham Septic Tank Services | Sewer Line Repair Hoover ...

Frank Gale/The Western Star

Jennifer Rose and Tony Powell feel Stephenville town council is being unreasonable in not granting them a permit to build on family land.

A young Stephenville couple believes the towns council is being unreasonable in not approving a permit to build a home on their family land.

Jennifer Rose and Tony Powell worked out of province, but decided to move home to work and live. But despite their best efforts and 14 months of trying, their latest attempt to get a permit was rejected.

Mayor Tom OBrien said said the reasoning for not granting the permit is simple: There is no municipal water and sewer services to the property, and town regulations state those services are required. OBrien said there will be no development until a comprehensive plan is put into place, including the installation of water and sewer thats connected to the towns system.

Rose said there are currently five homes on her familys property in the Hillier Avenue area. She said her family has three generations of farming and forestry on the property.

It is completely unfair that council is refusing to let us build a home on our family land, she said.

Rose said council insists they install municipal water and sewer, even for their single home. She said this is despite the fact all the existing homes are serviced by approved septic and wells, including one home owned by a town councillor.

She said municipal water and sewer installation would cost more than $2 million out of their pockets something the couple cant afford.

Rose said wells and septic systems on unserviced land must conform to provincial requirements, and the couple has the necessary government service centre inspection and approval.

Continued here:
Stephenville couple say council's permit denial is unreasonable

3/26/2015 - West Side Leader

Norton City Council is deliberating two possible sites for the future construction of a sanitary sewer pump station as the Nash Heights sanitary sewer project continues to unfold.

However, members of Council are leaning toward having the pump station constructed at Shellhart Road as opposed to the other option, Golf Course Drive, both in the Nash Heights area. Council discussed the issue during the March 23 meeting.

While Council members are delaying any action on the decision, they indicated a site selection of Golf Course Drive would be an added expense to the city (approximately $300,000) due to logistical issues with building the pump station there.

If the pump station were built at the Shellhart Drive location, the city would still be able to extend lines and will face less financial issues, Council members said.

Despite not approving the Shellhart location, Council did approve a $5,000 expenditure for soil boring to be taken in the area. That work will be done by Environmental Design Group and will determine water table data in the area.

The project to install sewers in several areas of the city came in response to an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandate to abate pollution and correct unsanitary conditions, particularly in the Nash Heights neighborhood.

City Administrator Valerie Wax Carr said Council will pick a location within the next 30 days as the city tries to meet the specifications of the EPA mandate.

Council President Rick Rodgers (Ward 1) also noted the city will work with the EPA to see if there is any relief for Nash Heights homeowners who have installed new septic systems on their properties in recent years.

While Rodgers could not commit to saying that residents who have installed new systems would be exempt from tying into the public sewer system, he pledged Council will discuss the issue and get answers back to the community as soon as possible.

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Norton Council discussing future pump station site

After many years of planning, the Thornhill sewer project is another step closer to becoming a reality.

image credit: Contributed

After many years of planning, the Thornhill sewer project is another step closer to becoming a reality.

At its March 20 board meeting, the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine board voted in favour of amending two bylaws about the sewer system and the financing of it.

Costs are estimated at $3.4 million.

Currently, upper and lower Thornhill residents have independent on-site septic systems.

Thats excluding homes and businesses on the south side of the Thornhill Creek Bridge and on Churchhill St., which had a sewer system put in after a bylaw was approved in 1994.

That bylaw allowed for the expansion of the sewer system as money became available.

The Thornhill core area is this next phase of the sewer system and includes from Thornhill Creek Bridge on Queensway over the CN tracks, up on Substation Road all the way across to the Skeena Landing hotel across the four-way stop, and goes down the Thornhill Frontage Road to Husky next to where the new hotel is being built and across the highway as far as the Chevron station.

That area also takes in the Northern Motor Inn, down Paquette St. and the west side for the community zoned properties.

The rest is here:
Sewer system coming to Thornhill, B.C.

By Frank J. McMahon

Mahwah The Planning Board has approved a subdivision of a heavily wooded 8.8-acre parcel on Monroe Drive.

Owners Anthony and Vincent Fasciano and Joseph and Terese Rizzi sought the subdivision to create two lots: one with 115,055 square feet, or 2.9 acres, and the other with 261,736 square feet, or 6.5 acres.

The owners plan to evenually build two homes on the properties.The board, however, attached certain conditions to protect neighboring properties. The owners must connect each lot to the township sewer system, install swales to route run-off, and delineating an easement to protect trees planted on the property.

The vacant property lies in the single family R-40 zone and has 150 feet of frontage on Monroe. It partially borders Ramsey and features a stream and wetlands.

Under the plan, Monroe Drive will be extended to create a cul-de-sac to provide driveway access to both lots.

Several neighbors of the property have voiced their concerns about the plan, citing the location of the proposed driveways and the potential drainage onto their properties. The plan includes a storm water runoff system that would collect the rainwater in the swales, directing it to basins at the rear of the property where it will drain into the wetlands.

The homeowners would be responsible for maintaining the storm water runoff systems on their properties.

Joseph Vinci, an engineer for the applicant, advised that the plan had been changed at the request of the board to show an 8-foot right-of-way behind the curb instead of 10 feet and a larger drainage basin. He said 74 trees would be removed and 47 trees would be added, not counting 19 white pines that will be planted as a buffer.

David Roberts, the townships professional planner, advised the board that if a buffer was provided to mitigate the impact on a neighboring property, the board should require a 10-foot planting easement to ensure trees in the buffer will not be removed by new property owners.

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Two-lot subdivision in Mahwah approved

STERLING During their regular meeting Monday, the RE-1 Valley Board of Education approved giving authority to the board treasurer or president and the superintendent to enter into a contract to construct and install modular units at Ayres Elementary.

The contract will either be with Eagle Creek or Satellite for construction and installation of modular units containing four classrooms, restrooms and that are ADA accessible, with neither contract to exceed $361,000 as the cost.

While the modular units are being used to handle full-day kindergarten for all kindergarten students next year, it will actually be the second grade students that use them.

Superintendent Dr. Jan DeLay noted there was some confusion about the number of kindergarten students that the district will have next year. They are expecting approximately 150 to 160 total students, similar to this year's number, not 150 additional students. However, the class sizes will be smaller, with about 20 to 21 students in each of the eight classes.

She also pointed out that the state may not fund full-day kindergarten for all students next year, but it's a benefit to have it to help attract more students.

DeLay reported she met with representatives from Eagle Creek and Satellite; both have come to look at the area behind Ayres, between the playground and the cafeteria and its slope, Eagle has come twice. She put a bid out for the project on Feb. 23, through Colorado Department of Education's list serve for the construction industry. As of Monday, a bid had been received from Eagle Creek and a bid was pending from Satellite.

The bid from Eagle Creek, which is the one she's leaning toward, includes design specifications required by the state, but not for the fire alarm system. DeLay noted Mike Manuello, district maintenance director, is looking at bids for sewer and septic. Eagle Creek's bid would only require one septic.

Both companies have a sound reputation with districts in Colorado, DeLay said.

Board member Cindy Johnson pointed out the configurations for Eagle Creek versus Satellite's modular units are very different. DeLay said they are, noting both she and Manuello are leaning towards Eagle Creek, because it would be one long unit and even though it's a modular, they would do some customizing and it would look like part of the building.

She plans to make the decision on which bid to accept with input from Manuello and board member Marty Smock, who is in the construction business.

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RE-1 Valley Board of Education takes next step with full-day kindergarten

Clarenville to measure sewage going into the ocean

Canadian towns pumping sewage into nearby waters is a reality and Clarenville is no exception from the problem.

Waste Water

The regulations, published July 18, 2012, apply to any outfall with an average daily volume of 100,000 litres a day, an amount equal to an Olympic-size swimming pool each month.

At its latest meeting, Clarenville town council discussed the necessary steps to curb the problem, the first step being outfall monitoring.

Through a tender call, the town hired BioMaxx Wastewater to install and monitor flow meters at four locations in the town at a cost of $36,360.

The town's director of operations Rick Wells told council it will monitor volume as well as effluent and suspended solids being discharged into salt water.

"This is all part of the monitoring program through BioMaxx and they will report on an app so he has access. This will be done quarterly," said Wells. "When we have significant rainfall you can tell how much infiltration is coming into our system as well because of our monitoring. It's pretty neat technology."

There are eight outfalls in total, and four of them require monitoring because they are larger outfalls, said Wells.

There are two in Shoal Harbour - one at Man Point and across from Lori Ann Estates - and two in Clarenville, at Cormack Drive and in Broad Cove.

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First steps to wastewater treatment

Morris, Illinois (PRWEB) March 15, 2015

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With the new technology that is available to Zeiters Septics, and with the housing market starting to come back, homeowners will greatly benefit from the BioBarrier unit (http://www.zeitersseptics.com/). At one time, a homeowner would need 3000 square feett of yard space for a septic system, but now the BioBarrier can reduce it to fewer than 1000 square feet, depending on soil type. Now the homeowner can have their pool and outbuildings and still be able to live like they were on city sewer and water. Zeiters Septics is proud to embrace all new technologies and they do their homework and prove they want the best for their company and customers.

There was a major environmental code change in Illinois this year. The new code is more restrictive on subsurface septic requirements. Code changes are also requiring the installation of the Premier Tech Ecoflo Coco filters.

Things you can do to protect your septic system:

If properly designed, constructed and maintained, a septic system (http://www.zeitersseptics.com/) can provide long-term, effective treatment of household wastewater. If the septic system isnt maintained, it might need to be replaced, costing thousands of dollars. A malfunctioning system can contaminate groundwater that might be a source of drinking water.

To prevent buildup, sludge and floating scum need to be removed through periodic pumping of the septic tank. Regular inspections and pumping are the best and cheapest way to keep your septic system in good working order.

When septic systems are properly designed, constructed, and maintained, they effectively reduce or eliminate most human health or environmental threats posed by pollutants in household wastewater. However, they require regular maintenance or they can fail. Septic systems need to be monitored to ensure that they work properly throughout their service lives.

A key reason to maintain a septic system (http://www.zeitersseptics.com/) is to save money! Failing septic systems are expensive to repair or replace, and poor maintenance is often the culprit. Having the septic system inspected regularly is a bargain when considering the cost of replacing the entire system. Systems will need pumping depending on how many people live in the house and the size of the system. An unusable septic system or one in disrepair will lower property value and could pose a legal liability.

About Zeiters Septics

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Zeiters Septics Unlimited, Inc. Plans on Offering the New BioMicrobics BioBarrier Membrane Unit in Illinois Spring 2015

MERRILLVILLE | Efforts continue to extend sanitary sewer service to an interior area of the Southmoor Park subdivision.

Merrillville Conservancy District board member Ed Yerga said money has been allocated for such a project. Yerga said the cost to install new sewers hasnt been finalized, but he estimated it could be between $1 million and $2 million.

There are other steps that must occur before the project could begin.

Although the town isnt affiliated with MCD, the Town Council must adopt an ordinance that would authorize the sanitary sewer entity to annex parcels of Southmoor Park that currently rely on septic systems into the conservancy districts service area.

Yerga said a draft ordinance has been prepared by MCD, and it has been delivered to the town.

Councilman Shawn Pettit said the measure will be reviewed by Merrillville leaders and Town Attorney John Bushemi, and its possible the ordinance could be considered for approval during the councils March 24 meeting.

If Southmoor properties are annexed, those homeowners would start paying a conservancy tax, Yerga said.

Some parcels of Southmoor Park already receive service from MCD, so there are existing sanitary sewer lines in the subdivision.

A timeline hasnt yet been established to install the new sewers, but Yerga indicated he would like to see the work get started as soon as possible.

Southmoor Park resident Clarence Phillips is among those who have been pursuing the sewer service expansion in the residential area. He has encountered issues with his septic system for years.

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Sewer project could be coming to Merrillville subdivision