1. How is the project being funded?
This is an estimated $14 million project. Approval of our funding
By USDA Rural Development was announced in April 2009 after working with federal, state and local representatives to take advantage
of “stimulus package” funds. The project qualified for a 45% federal grant; the balance will be a low interest 40 year loan. As a
result of last year’s income survey, the District has been awarded an additional $1 million grant from the Office of Community and
Rural Affairs (OCRA) that will help bring down our rates.
2. How is the loan to be repaid?
The
loan as well as ongoing operating expenses of the utility will be paid for by the collection of monthly rates from all the users of
the system.
3. How are the rates determined and what can I expect my monthly bill to be?
User rates will depend on our final construction cost plus the estimated cost to operate and maintain the system. We expect the final rate to be $55-$60 per month for a typical residential property owner. Businesses may be assessed higher rates based on higher expected use as compared to an average home.
4. What if I don’t pay my monthly bill?
The District is required by Indiana Code to collect user fees in order pay its obligations and to keep the system operating properly for all of its users. Although we do not yet have a written procedure to cover the non-payment of fees, we will have the power to force payment of delinquent accounts by any of the following actions:
assess penalties, utilize collection agencies, take legal action in circuit court, and add our attorney fees if legal action is required, attach a tax lien or a lien to the title, foreclose.
5. Is it mandatory that I connect to the system even if I have a functioning septic system?
Yes. If your property is within the
district boundary, or if your building foundation is within 300 feet of the public sewer, connection to the public sewer system is
mandatory as required by USDA funding guidelines and allowed by State Code.
6. When
will I be required to connect to the sewer system?
Upon completion of construction of the sewer main and the Clean Water Plant, you will be notified by mail that the sewer line is available and connection is required. You will be given full instructions on how to proceed and a specified time to make the connection exempt from connection fee.
Guidelines for Building Sewer Construction along with all permit forms and applications will be available from the District. Abandonment of the existing septic tank and connection to the new sewer main will be required within a specified timeframe after notification. If not connected within the timeframe, additional costs and penalties may be assessed.
7. What kind of collection system will be built? How
does it work?
The collection system is known as a “low pressure” sewer system. Wastewater from your home will flow to a collection
tank underground. From there, a pump will grind and push the liquefied waste into the sewer main and on to the treatment facility.
8. How often must I have the grinder pump tank pumped?
The grinder station requires no other pumping. Wastewater accumulates and is evacuated
to the sewer system by the internal pump. Maintenance and electrical cost for the grinder pump will be paid by the Sewer District
as part of the operational costs. The property owner is responsible for adhering to the basic regulations as to what can and cannot
be put into the sewer system.
9. Where will the grinder pumps be located?
Grinder pumps will be located where they can collect from multiple homes if possible and close proximity to power is required. In most cases, the best place will be on an easement granted by homeowners. Where this is not possible, the pump will be installed in the public right-of-way.
10. What happens if there is a power failure?
Basically, if there is no power, there is no water either and so no waste enters the sewer.
11. Will there be any smell or noise from the grinder pumps?
No smell, period. Noise will be very slight, about like a sump pump if you were standing right over it. Typically, the pump will only operate a few times a day.
12. Will my neighbor
and I have to pay for a new grinder pump if the one we are connected to fails or wears out?
No, the District owns the pump and will provide all maintenance, repair and replacement, when necessary. On the other hand, you will be required to adhere to normal usage guidelines. If you have breakdowns due to repeated improper use, you could be charged for repairs.
13. Will other
people’s waste back up into our grinder pump station?
No, the grinder pump stations are protected by check valves that prevent backflow.
14. Will I be able to mow around the grinder pump station? Will there be exposed wires or piping?
Yes, you will be able to mow around it. The pump station will have an above-ground cover about the size of a garbage can lid. There will also be a control box with an alarm light to warn if some failure occurs. There will be no other exposed features.
15. How deep will the grinder
pump station be?
A standard grinder station will be 4 ˝’ from ground level to the top of your inlet line. There are also extenders to make the inlet even deeper to help homeowners that need extra depth to provide the necessary gravity slope in their specific case.
16. How can I find out where my sewer line will have to run for the tie in?
The District will have a master drawing for the collection system. Contact the Board for information.
17. Will contractors who hook up homes need to be bonded and/or
licensed in the county they work in?
If a hook-up is made by a contractor, they must be bonded and licensed. A hook-up can also be made by the homeowner on his own property. In either case, the work will be required to follow guidelines provided by the District and will need to be inspected by the District inspector and possibly the County Health Inspector.
18. Is a permit
required from the District prior to hooking up to the new system? Are there fees associated with the permit?
A permit will be required. There will be no fee for the permit if the work is done in your specified connection period during the initial construction phase. If connection is made after the initial construction phase, a permit fee may apply. In either case, an inspector will be required to assure that all work is done properly and a fee may be required to cover this service.
19. Will there be an inspector
for the District when connections are made? What are the inspector’s other responsibilities?
The district will employ an inspector to assure that all connections are done properly. In addition the inspector will assure that all sanitary drains in the building are tied into one building drain going to the grinder pump and no storm water or ground water drains go to the grinder pump.
20. Will there be guidelines for Building sewer construction available to homeowners?
Yes, the guidelines will be available for your review as soon as they are adopted. Guidelines will also be provided at the time of permit application when you are ready for connection.
21. Will I be without both septic and sewer service for any period of time during construction?
Once you are ready for connection, the
switch from septic to sewer will be a very short time, certainly less than an hour.
22. Will I have to be present
to hook up to the system?
Yes, the inspector will need access to the building to assure that all plumbing is connected to the building
outlet.
23. Is there a connection fee?
There will be no connection fee assessed during the initial construction phase. Homeowners will be given a timeframe (yet to be determined) to complete their connection. However, connections made after the initial construction phase will be assessed a fee that will cover the full cost of the grinder pump and its installation plus some additional charge (yet to be determined) for late connection.
24. What happens if I refuse to connect?
The District has the power by Indiana Code to assess penalties for failure to connect. In addition, the District can also apply to the Circuit or Superior Court for an order to force connection with the cost of the action, including the attorney’s fees of the District assessed against the property owner.
25. Will I be required to start paying a partial monthly bill before I connect to the District Sewer?
During construction, we will be required to draw money from the loan. So, in order to make initial payments on the loan, we will need to start collecting a portion of the fees to cover our loan payment. We expect this to be about $30 per month. When the system is complete and your connection is made, the operational portion of the bill will be added, bringing your monthly bill to about $55-$60.
26. What other costs besides the monthly rate should I expect?
You will be required to pump and abandon your current septic tank pursuant
to Indiana Code requirements. This, we are told, should cost about $400. You will also be responsible for the cost of the plumbing
connection from your building to the public sewer. This, we are told, should cost $10-$15 per foot of trench and pipe. You may also
need to do plumbing modifications to get all waste lines routed to one outlet. There is no typical situation here, so we cannot estimate
the cost. If your home is at a much lower level than the public sewer and grinder station, you may need an ejector pump to get up
to it. This, we are told, can cost $1000-$1500. Finally, there may be a small fee for inspection.
There will be no connection fee
or assessment for customers that connect to the system during the initial connection period.
27. What if I cannot
afford the connection costs?
The USDA Department of Rural Development may be able to provide financial help with grants and low interest
loans to cover the initial connection costs. Homeowners 62 years and older may be eligible for home improvement grants. Other
low income families and individuals under 62 may be eligible for loans at a 1% interest rate. Persons interested in exploring
these options should inquire about the 504 Program by calling the USDA Rural Development office in Plymouth at (574) 936-2024.
28. Will landlords get the bill, or can they just make the renters responsible like they do with NIPSCO bills?
The property owner (the
landlord) will be responsible for the bill just as they are with taxes.
29. Where will I pay my bill?
We don’t have
those details worked out yet, but we will try to make the payment options easy.
30. If the grinder pump I am supposed
to connect to is across the street, will I have to pay for that extra distance?
No, you will be provided with a connection stub at
your property line.
31. What if I own an empty lot?
An empty lot that has no connection to the sewer will not
be billed. However, if the lot becomes developed some day, the owner will be required to pay for connection and will be billed for
usage from that time on.
32. If my property value goes up, won’t my property taxes go up?
We know that sewage collection and treatment will be an improvement to your property and to your property’s value. We do not know how it will affect your taxes.
33. Is there any consideration if I just had a new septic system installed?
Indiana Code IC-13-26-5-2.5 allows an extension to the connection period if your septic system is less than 5 years old. There are a number of qualifications that need to be met so you should review all the details with the District Board.
34. We have a seasonal lake cottage. Must we pay year round?
Yes. The public sewer must be built and sized to handle 100% of the wastewater from the properties connected
to the system as if they were occupied 365 days a year.
The capital cost, as well as the operation, maintenance and replacement cost
is shared equally among all property owners connected to the sewer.
35. I have a small house with no laundry or dishwasher.
Must I pay the same rates as a large home with washer, dishwasher, and multiple bathrooms?
In general, all residential connections
will pay the same monthly rate. However, we are attempting to evaluate a few exceptions for low usage, as we write the rate ordinance.
36. My toilet drains into my septic system, but all our greywater (from sinks and showers) goes into a drywell,
French drain. Since there's no human waste involved, can I just leave that part of the house alone?
No, greywater is sanitary
waste and must be connected to the sewer system and treated properly to prevent harm to the environment.
37. If we
lose electricity, will the sewer system shut down and my house drain back up?
No. First, the treatment plant will have automatic back-up
power generator to maintain operation. Second, you will not have power to run the well pump so no waste will be entering the system.
If you have a back-up generator to power your well pump, you will have to be aware of the holding capacity of the grinder pump because
it will not operate until line power is restored.
38. Who will maintain the sewer system?
The District Board of Trustees
is responsible for maintaining the proper operation as well as the financial health of the system.
39. Why
aren’t we connecting to the Walkerton or Hamlet treatment plants?
Our Preliminary Engineering Study analyzed both options in detail
and found them to be much more costly compared with the construction of our own treatment facility. This study was carefully
reviewed by the USDA Rural Development, the project’s primary funding source, and they concurred with our decision.
40. Will the new treatment facility have a bad odor?
No, the facility will employ the latest clean-water technology which relies primarily
on a completely biological process which is sped up by the forced addition of oxygen. Disinfection is provided by Ultra-Violet
light. We have toured a similar treatment plant and found it to be virtually odor-free. The outflow water will be clean and clear.
Operations will be performed under the guidelines and authority of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
41. When will construction begin? How long will it take?
Construction will begin immediately after all final approvals are issued by the
funding agencies and the construction contract has been awarded after a public bidding process. We hope to begin construction in fall
2010 and estimate 18 months for completion.
42. Will the roads be torn up during construction?
There will be inconveniences
due to the construction, but much of the underground piping will be installed using a boring technique that avoids large open trenches.
This method will be the least disruptive and destructive.
43. Will the construction tear up my driveway and/or lawn?
There will be disturbances due to the construction. The District will be installing grinder pumps on property easements and right-of-ways. The District will repair and restore all damage caused by this work.
The property owner will have to have the septic tank pumped and abandoned; all sanitary drain lines from the home will have to be routed to one outlet pipe and this building drain will have to be connected to the grinder pump. The property owner, or their contractor, will be responsible for any repair or restoration due to this work.
44. There are wetlands around the lake. Will the sewer construction damage them?
No. Thorough environmental
and archeological studies have been performed and construction will have no adverse impact.
45. What are the
major project goals?
December 2009 - Engineering plans and specs complete
July 2010 - permit approval from USDA-RD
Aug 2010 - begin bid process
Sept 2010 - contract for construction
Winter 2010 - begin construction
Spring 2012 - construction completed and connections begin
46. Will there be a local office where we can talk to a human being?
We think so, but this is a detail that we have yet to address.
47. Where can I get more information on the project?
We encourage you to stay informed by attending KLRSD Board meetings at the KLA Clubhouseevery third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm CDT.
Meeting minutes are on file at the Koontz Lake Public Library and online at www.klrsd.org.
Feel free to contact us at board@klrsd.org.