The last time I wrote about the Regional Sewer District, which was a number of years ago now, I referred to it as “Reggie the Orphan” since no one in county government wanted to claim this creature they’d created more than 20 years ago because the state made them do it.
Much has changed. It now has a budget, a director and is actively installing sewage systems in Murray and Liberty Center. Bids for work in Craigville will be opened soon.
But what, I’ve been wondering, is the RSD endgame? To the best of my knowledge, every county now has an RSD. Is the state’s ultimate goal to have every home in the state connected to a certified sewage treatment plant? Will septic tanks and systems be a relic of the past?
“I don’t think so,” says Lewis Brown, Wells County’s RSD director. We’ve known him for years as L.A. Brown, but he now goes by Lewis, which frankly I have to get adjusted to. Regardless, it’s always a pleasure to talk to him.
It seems to me that it would be more economical for each county to hire a full time septic inspector who would inspect and enforce compliance with proper maintenance. Not so easy, Lewis says.
“Back in 1990, in their infinite wisdom,” he relates, the state set up new directives for septic systems. “They could have easily included a requirement for annual maintenance.”
But they did not. “Underground. Out of sight. Out of mind,” he says. Anyone who knows Brown knows he knows of which he speaks, having been in the business for 40 years before taking on the RSD challenges.
Particularly in our area, the clay soil is not conducive to septic tanks, he continues. “There’s no reason they can’t work,” but they have to be done right and maintained, he said.
A different solution, he has seen, is needed. Besides the poor maintenance, many old systems were so poorly constructed or so small, they were doomed to fail. He’s even heard stories of people utilizing 55-gallon drums as their septic tank.
But it all comes at a cost to the affected homeowners, often times at a burden too great to those who have chosen to live in these small communities. Which is why this has become the topic this week.
To date, 197 homes have been billed an “interim rate” of $35 a month while the system is being constructed. They are not receiving any services yet. In this week’s RSD meeting, the dilemma of moving them up to the $95 full monthly rate on April 1 looms, even though they will still not likely be receiving services yet. There are reasons for the delays — supply chain and COVID-19. But agreements with the state and the state funding source have certain rules.
Of those, 15 households have yet to pay anything for services they have not received, and will likely not begin paying the higher fee either. What to do?
“Well, ultimately,” Brown explains, “we will have to file a lien on their property.” The tone of his voice makes it clear that is not a preferred option — just the only one.
County Commissioner President Mike Vanover, in his “state of the county” presentation this week, mentioned a need to address this. “The last thing we want to do is drive these people out, or leave them without a home,” he said at the Tuesday luncheon.
He acknowledged later that he’s heard from about a dozen county residents concerned about their ability to pay $95 a month and perhaps losing their homes.
“We need to find a solution,” he says, admitting he does not have a specific plan in mind but has been “working with some legislators” on the state level. “But neither can we have sewage in our ditches and rivers,” he adds.
A number of people wish “Reggie” was still an orphan. I get that, but there’s also the reality of properly handling our waste and who’s specific responsibility it is to pay for that.
A modern dilemma.
miller@news-banner.com
