Date: Fri 08-Aug-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

sewer-regulation-hearing

Full Text:

Hearing Set August 14 For Proposed Sewer Regulations

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

A public hearing on the town's proposed sewer regulations is scheduled for

Thursday, August 14, at 7:30 pm, at the Multi-Purpose Building, 14 Riverside

Road, Sandy Hook.

The Water Pollution Control Authority's (WPCA) 32-page proposal describes

policies and procedures for operating the town sewer system. For the past

several years, the WPCA has been developing the regulations that are now being

codified.

The town's public works director will administer, implement, and enforce the

rules.

According to the proposed regulations, all areas lying outside the town's

sewer district are designated as a "sewer avoidance zone" to which the town

doesn't intend to extend sewers.

The proposed regulations state how the town intends to control surface water

pollution and groundwater pollution problems.

Priorities

The WPCA proposes five rank-ordered, sewage-treatment priorities for the

330,000 gallons of daily wastewater treatment capacity which have been

earmarked for the town at the Commerce Road sewage treatment plant.

The town's sewage treatment capacity, in descending order, is intended for:

existing development within the sewer district; potential development within

the sewer district meeting existing zoning regulations; existing development

along sewer transmission routes; existing development outside the sewer

district which has been identified as an area of concern and which is

"reasonably close" to the sewer district; and other existing development

outside the sewer district which is "in close proximity" to the district.

According to the proposed regulations, the owner of any property within the

sewer district which abuts any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is

a public sewer will be required to connect to the sewer system. Such property

owners generally would have four months to connect to the sewer system after

being notified by the town to connect. Any property owner who neglects to

connect to the sewer system would be liable to a $10 daily fine until a

connection is made.

An exception to the sewer connection requirements may be made for a

residential property where the residence is more than 300 feet from the

nearest public sewer.

If a property owner's land abuts a sewer transmission main, the owner only

would be required to connect to the sewer system if there is a failure of all

or part of his septic system, at which time the owner would have 30 days to

connect. Also, owners of property abutting sewer transmission lines may

request WPCA permission to connect to the sewer system at any time.

Under the proposed regulations, it would be unlawful for anyone to construct

or repair an outhouse, septic tank, cesspool or any sewage disposal facility

if public sewers are available, unless recommended by the health district and

approved by the WPCA.

The proposed regulations list a wide variety of pollutants, materials and

forms of wastewater which cannot be discharged into the sewer system because

they would either pass through the sewage treatment plant without proper

treatment, overburden the plant, or foul the plant's operations.

Liquids which cannot be discharged into the sewer system would include

stormwater, surface water, groundwater, artesian well water, roof runoff,

subsoil drainage, swimming pool drainage, condensate, deionized water and

non-contact cooling water, among others.

According to the proposed regulations, a wastewater discharge permit would be

required from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to

discharge industrial wastewater, or discharge domestic sewage exceeding 46,600

gallons per day from a single site into the sewer system.

Enforcement

If a discharge or proposed discharge would have a harmful effect on the sewer

system, wastewater treatment processes, equipment, or the waters which receive

the treated wastewater, or would create a hazard to life or create a public

nuisance, the DEP commissioner or the town's public works director may:

prohibit the discharge; require wastewater pre-treatment; or require controls

over the quantities and rates of discharge, according to the proposed rules.

The proposed regulations give the public works director the right to enter the

premises of any sewer user to determine whether the user complies with the

regulations.

If the public works director determines a sewer user has violated or is

violating the regulations, the director may: issue a cease-and-desist order;

require the user to comply with all regulations; and act to remedy or prevent

a continuing or threatened violation, including halting operations or

terminating the wastewater discharge.

Violations of the regulations would be punishable by fines of up to $100 per

violation, per day.

If ordered to correct a sewage discharge problem by the public works director

and the sewer user doesn't do so, the director may disconnect the premises

from the sewer system, according to the proposed rules. The town would be able

to recover the costs for disconnection from the sewer user before the user

could reconnect to the system. The proposed regulations specify various

administrative fines for violating the regulations.

Sewer Use Rates

Criteria for establishing sewer use rates for commercial/industrial buildings

would include: the volume of wastewater discharged; the type or size of

buildings connected to the sewer system; the number of plumbing fixtures

connected to the system; the number of people using the property; the type of

material discharged into the system; and the average number of employees and

visitors using the property.

Initially, sewer use charges will be based on water meter readings at homes

and businesses. Initial sewer use bills will be based on the estimated cost of

operating the sewer system. As the actual costs of operating the sewer system

become known, billing rates will stabilize.

A minimum sewer use charge will be established. Sewer users will have the

right to appeal their sewer use charges in Danbury Superior Court.

Sewer users would be billed quarterly in October, January, April and July.

Payments are due within 30 days of the billing date. Delinquent payments will

be collected in the manner by which delinquent property taxes are collected.

The public works director may require that any non-residential sewer user

install a water meter at the user's expense. When sewer users have private

water sources, the water use may be metered for billing purposes. Industrial

and commercial sewer users may install "exception meters" for water they

consume in manufacturing processes.

Industrial users, who generate high-strength wastewater, would be subject to

surcharges based upon wastewater strength, volume, and/or treatment costs.

According to the proposed regulations, the WPCA may expand the sewer district

if it deems it to be in the town's best interest.

The proposed rules list a variety of criteria to determine if a sewer system

expansion is needed. Such sewer extensions could be paid for with town funding

or private funding, depending on the circumstances of the sewer expansion.

Assessments

Sewer assessments will be the subject of a September 11 public hearing.

Individual hearings, at the property owners' request, are slated for October.

Residential sewer assessments will be set as a class at $9,900 per unit for

properties in the initial sewer district.

Non-residential sewer assessments will vary in amount. They will be based on

90 percent of the estimated increased property value which access to sewers

creates at a property.

Sewer assessments for non-residential properties range from $2,862 for the

Newtown Cemetery Association at 1 Elm Drive to $541,260 for Joseph T. Kasper,

Jr, for properties at 6 and 8 Queen Street.

The town is building a $34.3-million sewer system to rectify groundwater

pollution problems in Sandy Hook Center, Taunton Pond North and Newtown

Borough.

Copies of the proposed sewer regulations are available for public review at

the town clerk's office in Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street.