Sewer Project Meeting This Morning

An informational meeting about the sewer project referendum will be held this morning at 9 a.m. in the Town Council Chambers.

The referendum question asks whether the town should appropriate $2,500,000 to provide low pressure sewers to replace septic systems for approximately 95 properties on a portion of Woodpond Road, a portion of Woodruff Road, Shady Lane, Blue Ridge Drive, Helm Drive and a Portion of Ridgeview Drive. The appropriation could be used for design and construction costs as well as any land and easement acquisitions.

The project would be funded in part by flat benefit assessments just over $10,000 each to be paid by benefitting property owners according to Chapter 156-49 “Sewers” of the Farmington Town Code.

The balance of the project would be financed through the issuance of bonds as authorized in the resolution. The bonds plus interest would be paid off over a set number of years through the Town’s annual debt service budget.

The sewer project was first recommended by the Farmington Valley Health District, then the Water Pollution Control Authority, which brought the issue to property owners who would be affected. The WPCA held meetings during which the majority of property owners in attendance voted in favor of the project.

Property owners will have the option of not connecting to the system and will be able to defer the assessment until they sell the house. The town will run the sewer lines up to the property line and property owners will be responsible for hiring a contract to install a grinder pump and hook up the line to the house.

A low pressure system with grinder pumps was chosen for the area over the more traditional gravity system because of the neighborhood's terrain and the method's lower cost.