Filling a Need

Sewer Service

By John Conway, PE

A change is taking hold at rural and regional water systems across the country. More and more boards are seeing a need for central sewers among their customers to replace aging septic tanks and individual lagoons. Many see this as an additional community service they can offer. Others see this as an additional burden the system is being asked to shoulder. In many ways, this groundswell stands where rural water stood fifty years ago, addressing a need to take a more regional approach to wastewater. Many feel the move is overdue. In some communities overtaxed septic systems have resulted in ditches filled with raw sewage, creating health hazards that should not be ignored and endangering the environment. Just as cities typically offer both water and sewer services to its citizens, many feel it makes sense for rural water systems to do the same.

As a result, there has been a movement in state legislatures to modify laws to authorize rural water systems to own, operate and maintain central sewer systems for their customers. Local water systems need this statutory authority to proceed. There are a number of factors boards should keep in mind should they choose to move in this direction. There should be a clearly defined vital need for the service, special discharge permitting will be required, operational expertise will have to be acquired, and user charge rates and billing systems will need to be put in place. Offering this public service obviously adds obligations some systems do not want to assume. Some areas have left the sewer system development to be created by another local authority. Some feel the challenges of meeting federal and state requirements for a water system are enough. Many states have this purpose being met by municipal authorities like cities, towns and villages. In the cases where the water is served by another authority, they will enter into intergovernmental agreements for the common use of right-of-way, billing and providing water usage data to determine user charges.

Systems that proceed may wish to consider setting up the sewer service as a stand-alone, self-supporting utility enterprise, paying its own way independent of the water service. This approach insulates those rural water users that are unable to participate in the system from costs associated with the sewer system. The system will also have to hire a licensed operator. In addition, they'll need to acquire construction permitting from appropriate local, state, and federal agencies.

The board should develop a plan that includes moving through a clearly defined process. As a minimum, the system will need an NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit to discharge the wastewater effluent and a facility plan (preliminary engineering report). Once these actions have been completed funding will need to be secured. Fortunately, potential financing is available from sources like USDA Rural Development, Community Development Block Grants and EPA State Revolving Loan Funds. Most entities are familiar with the agencies that administer these funds and are familiar with the processes. Additionally, county health departments play an important role in documenting the local need for central sewer systems. As always, effective engineering design is critical. Final design is followed by right-of-way acquisition, construction and finally start-up operation of the new system.

Providing central sewer service can have a big impact on rural water systems and their customers. It is common to have a regional water supply meeting the water supply needs of smaller communities. Those small communities often struggle with leadership and may not have the desire or expertise to complete a major capital improvement project. Regional water systems have the experience and can embrace these types of projects. As an example, there were two communities in central Missouri struggling with individual sewer systems failing and solicited the help of the regional water system. Since some of the leaders of the regional water system lived in these communities, they were well aware of the sewer problems. Working with their engineer and local attorney, they put together a sewer plan very similar to their original water plan and were able to bring central sewers to each community. They expanded their billing system to accommodate the collection of the sewer revenue. Additionally, they provided additional training for their operators and were able to become licensed operators for the sewer systems.

Consistent with their heritage, more and more rural water systems are seeing a challenge and stepping up to the plate to satisfy a community need. There's nothing new about that. Rural water has been addressing community needs for over half a century.