CELERON – Officials from Chautauqua County, North Harmony, the South and Center Chautauqua Lake Sewer Districts met recently to discuss further expanding sewer lines to the western side of Chautauqua Lake.
The West Side Sewer Extension Project is slated to provide public sewers to some homes on the west side of Chautauqua Lake. County officials said around 450 properties along the Route 394 corridor through Stow will be included in the project.
“Septic systems are a significant source of phosphorus loading in Chautauqua Lake,” said Chautauqua County Legislator Pierre Chagnon. “This extension project will provide a public sewer system to replace private septic systems, many of which are not meeting standards or are approaching the end of their useful lives. By removing all septic systems in the area and providing a public collection system, this project will reduce the amount of nutrients entering Chautauqua Lake and reduce cyanotoxins associated with harmful algal blooms.”
The project will include the installation of a new pump station, which will be adjacent to and will replace the existing Sunrise Cove Pump Station, and a new force main from the station to the Sherman’s Bay Pumping Station.
The system will also include approximately 15,500 feet of gravity sewer; approximately 36,300 feet of pressure sewer; two intermediate pumping stations and around 200 grinder pumping stations.
Officials said the $16.9 million project will be financed through a combination of grants and from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
Once established, the estimated first year user cost will be $1,000 per year for equivalent dwelling units (EDU), or properties with single family dwelling water usage, and $100 per year for vacant parcels.
This annual EDU charge does not include private property lateral or interior plumbing improvements to connect to the system or the permit fees to SCCLSD.
Officials said user is responsible to pay the cost to install a sewer line from their dwelling to the property line or to a grinder pumping station installed near the right-of-way.
An engineering consultant in Buffalo will start by surveying the area and conducting a geotechnical investigation for the project.
The preliminary and detailed design is anticipated to be completed by 2021 with construction on the project to take place between 2021 and 2023.
The math used to assess cost per homeowner parcel are too basic. They divide cost by number of households..period. A two bedroom , one bath cottage pays the same freight as a 6br. 5 bath mansion. That inequity would be a simple calculation to correct. Homeowners should pay a rate based on utilization.