Work begins on Granger sewer system

A working sewer system for the Granger business district should be in place by the end of July, 2012.

“Long term, it’s going to be good for Granger,” said Don Smessaert, President of the St. Joseph County Regional Water and Sewer District. “Right now, they either love us or they hate us, nobody is in the middle of the road.”

Just off to the side of the road on M-62 outside of Edwardsburg today, crews from Selge Construction were busy installing pipes.

“We are directionally drilling six inch HP pipe to Granger for the project, this is actually the end of the job where it dumps into the (Ontwa Township treatment) system,” said Jim Morgan, Foreman with Selge Construction.

A $2.5 million contract for work on the Granger sewer system was finalized last week. The time to criticize and debate has passed, while the time to build has arrived.

“Long term, I don’t think Granger could have survived on septic,” said Smessaert. “I mean, between the cost of the (septic) systems even now, they’re astronomical, it’s only going to get worse. This way we have a known cost and a reasonable treatment rate. You’ve got about 25 percent of the rate is the treatment rate; the rest of it is the debt service. 20 years, that goes away, it becomes affordable.”

In dealing with cost critics, the Granger sewer project has allegedly gone down a road that has never before been traveled.

Those in the Granger business district who have failing septic systems can hook into the sewer system right away: Those who still have working septic systems—don’t have to.

“It’s the first time a sewer district has done a install where it wasn’t 100 percent compelled to connect. The fact that functioning systems are allowed to continue to function and that the owner doesn’t have to sign up, never been done in Indiana before,” said Smessaert.

According to the St. Joseph County Health Department, about 60-sewer users filed requests to keep their septic systems. The list includes both homes and businesses. About 250-total potential sewer users are within the Granger district boundaries.

While the project price tag has been controversial, that should not be the case for the chosen construction method.

“After we’re gone you don’t even know we were there,” said Jim Morgan. People are glad to see us come because we’re not tearing up driveways, we’re not tearing up main streets of town, we can directional drill under everything.”

The use of directional drilling should be positive news for Granger businesses that suffered through the reconstruction of S.R. 23 last summer.

The sewer construction work should work its way to Granger in another two to four weeks—weather permitting.

The work is slated to be completed by the end of July.

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Work begins on Granger sewer system