Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - NACWA in the News
Sewer Users Hope There's Way to Avoid High Tax Bills
By Rasheed Oluwa
Poughkeepsie Journal
RHINEBECK — Alex Livesey cringes at the idea of paying $3,000 or more in sewer
district taxes. Most people would.
That's what Livesey and the nearly 40 other residents of the Vanderburgh Cove
sewer district are facing.
The town board is seeking bids for repair of the Vanderburgh Cove Sewer
District. Officials expect the work, which is being done in two phases, to cost
about $1.7 million.
Repayment of the loan to cover the cost will fall on the shoulders of the
neighborhood's residents. The first phase of the project — the replacement of
the system's sand-filter system with mechanical filtering systems — is expected
to cost about $700,000.
"That's basically, in perpetuity," said Livesey, president of the homeowner's
association. "We'll have to keep paying that for the next 20 to 25 years, and
once that's done, we'll have to do it for the next 20 to 25 years. I'll have to
pay this off for the rest of my life."
The sewer system has been a thorny issue for a number of years. The system was
installed in the late 1960s but was taken over by the town in 1990 after years
of neglect.
The system is on the verge of failing. If that happens, the town would be forced
to pay fines levied by the state Department of Environmental Conservation until
repairs were made.
Supervisor Steve Block said he met with residents of Vanderburgh Cove to discuss
possible solutions to the problem, including investigating low-rate federal
loans and grant opportunities.
The town also installed the "White Knight" treatment system that cost about
$16,000. The device uses biological agents that feed on the sewage obstructing
the flow of the wastewater through the sand-filtered fields.
Although the "White Knight" helped slow the system's deterioration, it's still
failing.
"We'll have to do whatever it takes, regardless of cost, because we have to make
these improvements," Block said.
Livesey said he would have liked the town to explore other options, such as reed
beds. He said residents retained an attorney, but no legal action is planned.
"We're still trying to work out some way where we don't have to be burdened with
the entire cost," Livesey said. "We still consider the town somewhat responsible
for not maintaining the system during the time they've been running it."
Many face same problem
The dilemma faced by residents of Vanderburgh Cove isn't unique. According to a
study done by Mid-Hudson Pattern for Progress, federal funding for sewage
upgrades fell $903.2 million behind requests in the Hudson Valley.
Adam Krantz, who represents the National Association of Clean Water Agencies,
said federal funding for low-rate loan programs to help communities repair
sewage systems has gradually fallen since fiscal year 2004, when about $1.35
billion were allocated for such programs.
That's expected to be cut down to $688 million in 2007.
At the same time, household service charges in-creased by twice the rate of inflation last year.
"Basically, what this means is there is a much more competitive atmosphere for smaller towns and rural communities that need these funds just as much as the larger municipalities," Krantz said.
Dollars & Sense explores fiscal or financial issues that affect the public. It runs each Friday. To suggest a topic, please call 845-437-4834. Rasheed Oluwa can be reached at roluwa@poughkeepsiejournal.com