Date: Fri 02-Feb-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

sewers-avoidance-loans

Full Text:

WPCA Backs Loan-Interest Loan Program For Sewer Avoidance

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) members are seeking town

participation in a low-interest loan program to help residential property

owners in financing septic system repairs or replacement.

WPCA Chairman Peter Alagna told panel members January 25 that he has met with

the first selectman and health director to discuss aspects of the town's

evolving Sewer Avoidance Program (SAP).

The SAP is a combination of anti-pollution policies and regulations the town

will observe and enforce to ensure that the need for municipal sanitary sewers

doesn't expand beyond the area planned for sewering.

The subsidized loan program to help property owners repair or replace failing

septic systems is planned as an aspect of the town's broader SAP.

Mr Alagna said the town has enough manpower in its health department to

implement the SAP, including the septic system repair and replacement program.

The health department resources needed would amount to the equivalent of one

man-year of work to get the program underway, he said.

Mr Alagna said the town plans to submit a formal proposal to the state

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) detailing its SAP, as well as the

mechanics of a local septic system repair/replacement program.

Mr Alagna said he will propose to DEP officials in charge of state funding for

the local septic system repair/replacement program that "financial need" be

dropped as a factor in considering which local property owners will be

eligible for a subsidized loan at an annual two percent interest rate for

septic system improvements.

Under the terms of the loan subsidy program, the DEP would provide the town

with $660,000 in funds to make low-interest loans to qualified residential

property owners who have holdings outside the sewer district. The town would

spend the money necessary to implement the program, such as administrative

costs, according to Mr Alagna.

The subsidized two percent loan to help repair or replace failing septic

systems originates from the same funding source as the two percent loans

provided to property owners to help them pay back residential sewer

assessments.

People taking part in the septic system repair project must meet various

requirements on eligibility and participation set by the DEP.

The density of the residential development in an area which needs septic

system improvements would be a major factor in determining which properties

would qualify for the loan subsidy program, according to Peter Grose, sewering

project director for Fuss and O'Neill, Inc, the town's consulting civil

engineers.

WPCA memmber Tim Lachapelle cautioned that the town should careful in spending

its funds to administer the low-interest loan program. The town shouldn't be

in a position of spending $100,000 in administrative costs to make $20,000

worth of septic system improvements, he cautioned.

Town Sanitarian Martha Wright said five property owners want to participate in

the septic system repair program. Some of the property owners have partially

repaired their failing septic systems to keep the systems operable until the

property owners can particpate in the loan subsidy program, she said.

When the DEP releases the $660,00 in funds to the town for the program, then

the town can start the project, Mr Alagna said.

"There's quite a bit of administrative work involved...We need to have those

(state) funds released," he said.