SEWERS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
IMPORTANT NOTES: We do not have all
the answers at this point. The best we can do with many questions is
to say “we don’t know yet”, “probably” or “it depends”
etc. In fact, “it depends” is the answer to many questions, because
the locations and number that want sewers vs. the locations and number
that want to continue with septic systems will determine costs and
many other issues.
The costs are gross ballpark
estimates, based on conversations, not based on engineering.
You can be assured that the Town will do everything possible to make the
process fair and open.
Has Anyone Studied Which Areas Should Be Sewered?
Yes, the Town had a study done in 2002 that plotted over 800 septic
system feasibility tests (perc tests and water table tests) done from
1990-2002, and correlated that information with lot maps (for lot
sizes), and soils information. The result is a set of maps
culminating in a “Long Range Sustainable Vision” map. Those maps (“Can
a Septic System Work on My Lot” and “Summary
Map”) show which areas are recommended for sewers or small
neighborhood cluster treatment systems and which should be fine with
septic systems.
This was not a lot-by-lot analysis. As we know, many homes have
problem septic systems elsewhere in town, even if the property next
door has no problems. Thus the decision to survey the entire town.
A.
QUESTIONS ABOUT PAYING FOR SEWERS & SEWER COSTS
1.
Are any State or Federal financial assistance available to the
Town?
The State provides an interest subsidy of 1/3 off the normal market
rate for a municipal bond through the RI Clean Water Finance Agency.
This will save us millions – equivalent to about a 19% grant, or a 38%
grant if we can get the additional 1/3 off the interest rate.
If the bond issue of November 2004 and November 2006 pass, we might be
able to get an additional 1/3 off the normal market rate, saving
millions more. (See “What will it cost me? Below.)
There are few outright grants available, and they are too small to
make much of a difference. We’ll try.
2.
How do we pay for sewers? The Collection System and Treatment Plant
Construction:
With the assistance of the State agency, the Town will issue a 20-year
municipal bond. Areas getting sewers will become part of a special
sewer district. Properties in the district will be assessed for their
share of the system to pay off the bond.
There would also be a separate usage fee.
3.
How will properties be assessed?
There are a number of methods. The most common method is to assess by
street frontage, since about 2/3 of the total cost is installing the
collection lines in the street. This works well for vacant lots and
single-family house lots with normal frontage on an existing street.
It does not work as well for lots with tiny or no street frontage or
huge frontage. The number of developable lots for vacant lots would
have to be considered. It has been a long-standing policy of the town
to keep open space and working farms as long as possible, so some
arrangement would need to be made for those properties as well. We
have not fully investigated, but we will come up with a method that is
as fair as possible.
4.
What Would It Cost Me?
The Collection System and Treatment Plant Construction:
The cost estimates were not developed by an engineer. They were
developed from a consensus of phone calls and meetings by the Town
Planner with other Towns and engineers. He used the higher of the
reasonable numbers received, but cannot guarantee accuracy.
Based on a 20-year bond with a 1/3 interest subsidy, the following are
the ranges of costs for two possible scenarios:
North End
Only Entire Town
Annual Payment per Linear Foot of Lot Frontage $11.36
$9.37
Monthly Payment per Linear Foot of Lot Frontage $0.95
$0.78
This simply takes the entire estimated cost, divides it by the
approximate total length of streets, and divided that by two (assuming
that every street has lots on both sides). This is very simplistic,
but the best we can do for now.
The purpose of the cost estimates is to give an idea of the
scale of costs to pay for the system.
a)
I have a 1-bedroom cottage; shouldn’t I pay less than a 3-bedroom
house?
The per linear foot cost of putting the line in the street in front of
your property is the same for a 1-bedroom seasonal cottage as for a
mansion. Even owners of vacant property would pay for the existence of
the service in the street.
b)
I’m single, elderly, etc.; shouldn’t I pay less?
Same answer. The system will last 40 years or more. There is no way to
predict into the future how much any household will use (some people
shower twice a day, some once a year), if the house will be expanded,
if there will be children, etc.
The difference in water use will be reflected in the annual usage fee
(see below).
5.
What Would It Cost Me?
Connections from House to Street:
There will be a connector stub from the line in the street to every
property line. Connecting from your house to the stub is the
individual property owner’s responsibility. One-Time costs run from
$1500 to $3000, depending on where your wastewater exits the house,
underground utilities and water lines that might be in the way, and
the distance to the street.
6.
What Would It Cost Me?
Usage Fee and Other Costs:
The highest annual usage fee in the State is $430. Starting from
scratch costs more, so we are estimating $500 per year. The average
annual increase in RI is about 3% per year.
Usage fees are for the actual costs of operating the plant, plus a
contingency for unknown expenses and a repair & improvement set-aside
fund.
The almost universal method is to use your water meter readings, since
the meter is already there and water in is a reasonable approximation
of water out.
a)
Why not Charge by Actual Sewer Usage?
Because sewage contains a certain amount of solids that would clog the
meter. For that reason, water usage is the almost universal method.
Also, using the Portsmouth Water & Fire District’s data & meter
readers = a considerable cost savings.
There may also be direct costs to some properties, depending on the
type of collection system in the street. The typical gravity system is
a simple pipe from your house to the street. In some areas, however, a
gravity system would be so deep that ledge or groundwater would make
installation cost prohibitive. In those areas, shallower and smaller
pipes in the street may require a pump in your basement or yard. Some
such areas might also require a septic tank (but not a leach field).
It depends on the specific geography and geology in your area, and
might also be determined by the type of treatment system (they are
inter-related).
7.
What is the total construction cost?
Gross ballpark estimates are nearly $40 million for the north end of
Town, and about $130 million for the entire Town.
8.
If some parts of Town get sewers but mine does not, do I have to
pay for the system?
Only the areas getting sewers would pay for the sewer system, via a
special assessment district. If the system is done in phases,
people would have to contribute to the treatment plant, but would not
pay for lines in the street until they get them.
Obviously, installing sewers requires digging up the street. Repaving
roads afterwards is a normal Town responsibility, so repaving would be
part of the Town budget. It can be part of the 20-year bond, saving
the Town considerable money.
9.
If I don’t want sewers but my street gets sewer lines, do I have to
pay for the system?
Yes. It costs money to put the lines in the street and to make sewer
service available to your property, whether or not you use it. The
value of your property would increase if sewer service is available,
so you benefit anyway.
The usage is a separate fee you pay only if connected. (See “Would I
Be Required to Connect” below.)
10.
I have a corner lot; will I be charged for both street frontages?
No. You would only pay for one side.
11.
Would it cost me less if the whole Town were sewered?
Yes, in several ways:
For collector system construction: about 2/3 of the cost is the
pipes in the street. Generally, the bigger the construction job, the
more competition = lower prices. Some savings.
For building the treatment system: There is a large fixed cost
to build any size treatment plant, and then the plant is built in
large modules designed to serve several hundred properties. So it
would cost less per property if these fixed costs were spread out over
more properties.
For operations: A larger plant does not necessarily mean more
staff or other fixed costs. The more properties contributing, the less
it costs per property.
12.
Is there any financial assistance available?
Yes. There are several low interest loan programs for low and moderate
income households, and a reverse amortization mortgage program for
seniors. Call Church Community Foundation at 846-5114 for most of the
programs.
B.
QUESTIONS ABOUT CONNECTING TO SEWERS
1.
Would I be required to connect to sewers if they are installed in
my neighborhood?
Most likely, yes. And most likely as soon as the treatment system is
operational for your area – in 4-6 years. (It would cost you least to
do it when everyone else does it, because there would be more
competition for a larger job.) In order to work physically, a
wastewater treatment plant must have enough flow going into it. In
order to work financially, enough people must be paying for its use.
The reasoning goes as follows:
Requiring people to connect means that you know how many users there
will be. That allows you to design the treatment capacity to serve the
number of users, which allows you to calculate the cost of
construction, which allows you to determine user fees, which allows
you to make sure the project will generate sufficient revenue to
service the debt and operate the system. Lenders will not accept
guesses.
2.
I just repaired, replaced or installed a new septic system. Would I
be required to connect to sewers if they are installed in my
neighborhood?
If we are sure that enough houses are connecting, we should be able to
give people a few years grace period. We cannot know this until we
know which areas are to be sewered and how many would connect
immediately; have solid cost estimates and a solid financial plan. Any
grace period would have to be exact or our financial projections will
be faulty.
3.
If I do not connect right away, can I connect later?
It depends on the plant’s excess capacity at the time. (Probably a
first-come, first-served basis.) A stub would be brought from the
street to each property line, so we don’t have to dig up the street
later. If the plant is at capacity, you would have to wait until the
plant is expanded.
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