Sewer system vote Tuesday in Durhamville

By JOLENE CLEAVER Dispatch Staff Writer Twitter: @DispatchCleaver

DURHAMVILLE Some Durhamville homeowners will vote Tuesday whether they want to borrow money to build a $4 million system to pipe their sewage to Oneida.

If passed, the proposition would provide for the establishment of the Durhamville Sewer District in the hamlet.

The resolution provides for the construction of a sanitary sewer collection system at a maximum estimated cost of up to $4.1 million.

This will be financed through a hardship loan from the state through the Environmental Facilities Corporation. The terms of the loan include no-interest financing, payable over the next 30 years, and could save the town nearly $1 million in interest payments.

Town officials say there have been issues with septic systems in the area for years.

Durhamville, bisected by Oneida Creek, is typically wet, and Town Supervisor Owen Waller has noted in the past that septic systems fail frequently, causing raw sewage to go into open ditches and other water sources. This causes health issues.

In addition, many properties in the hamlet do not have room to install a proper leach field for septic tanks.

If the project is adopted, each homeowners in the district will pay $471 per year, whether or not they choose to hook into the system. If they do hook up, they will pay about $300 per year in fees related to pumping their sewage to Oneida for treatment, said Waller.

There will also be a one-time connection fee and a DEC-regulated septic tank disconnection fee for those who choose to hook into the system.

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Sewer system vote Tuesday in Durhamville