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Sanitary
Sewers Making
Public Sewers Available For Your Neighborhood's Environmental HealthSanitary
sewers are available to approximately 94% of the existing developments in the
City of Springfield. While the remaining 6% of the City is currently without public
sewers, City Council adopted the following priority in 1994: "Complete sanitary
sewer system to cover 100% of City." Council adopted this important environmental
priority, in part, because septic systems, even when properly designed, constructed,
and maintained, have proven to be an unacceptable means of sewage disposal for
urban density developments. Seepage from septic systems presents health hazards
through contamination of our drinking water, and leach fields can and do pollute
our ground water.
What
are the advantages of public sewers? (top)
Public sewers are recommended and often required by both the Environmental
Protection Agency and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for the collection
and transport of wastewater to a permitted treatment facility. This is especially
important for urban density developments because public sewers greatly reduce
the potential for health hazards and contamination of our ground water supply.
Septic systems, at best, are temporary substitutes for public sewers.
The geology of the Ozarks is generally considered unacceptable for individual
treatment systems. Because of our karst topography, septic systems can and do
fail often without our knowledge. Unfortunately, our karst topography also can
often provide a direct connection from septic system leach fields to our ground
water. To minimize this impact to our ground water, both the City of Springfield
and Greene County have adopted regulations that require a minimum size tract of
three (3) acres for individual treatment systems.
How
do you initiate the construction of public sewers? (top)
Requests for public sewers are typically initiated by a property owner or
owners from a neighborhood with concerns about the working order of their septic
systems. This typically occurs when septic systems are showing signs of failing
(surfacing sewage) or are not working properly. Failing septic systems can cause
health hazards, not only to the property owner but also to the entire neighborhood.
Requests for public sewers are referred to the City Council as required by the
City Charter.
What actions are taken for sewer
districts? (top)
The City Charter requires City Council to act on a district sewer at least
four times from the time it is initiated through completion. The various actions
are:
1. Establish district or joint district boundaries
2. Resolution
of Necessity
3. Acceptance of the lowest responsible bid
4. Authorize
the issuance of tax bills
Where are the sewer
lines located? (top)
Some of the sewer lines are built within the street parkway and some are
built within easements. If shrubs, trees, flowers, etc. are within the road right-of-way
or sewer easement area, it is the property owners’ responsibility to relocate
them if they want to preserve or transplant them to another location.
Who is responsible for the construction clean up? (top)
The contractor is responsible for all clean up, reseeding of the disturbed
areas, and for returning the parkways and easements to as near as practical to
the original condition.
What determines the cost
per property for public sewers? (top)
The total cost of a sewer district divided by the total square footage within
the district establishes the cost per square foot for the district.
| District
|
(divided
by) | District
|
(equals)
|
Cost
| | Cost |
Square
Footage | Square
Foot | The
cost per square foot is then multiplied by the square footage of each property
to determine the cost for each property owner within the district.
| Cost
|
(times)
|
Property
Owner |
(equals)
|
Property
Owner | | Sq.
Ft. | Square
Footage | Cost |
In
1999 City Council implemented an assistance program to cap the property owners’
costs for constructing the public sewers at $5,800 (which includes a $300 facility
charge) per tract for all those opting to use the assistance program. No matter
what size individual tract you own or what extra ordinary costs may be involved
in your sewer district, this assistance program can be used to cap your tax bill
at $5,800. This does not include the cost to connect your home/business to the
public sewer.
How do I pay my sewer tax bill?
(top)
After completion of the sewer district, a tax bill will be issued to cover
the cost of the sewer project. At that time each property owner will be sent a
letter stating the exact amount of their tax bill. You have two options to pay
for your sewer tax bill. 1.
The first option is to pay the tax bill in full within 30 days of the issuance
of the tax bill with no interest being charged.
2. The second option
is to take advantage of the City’s installment plan. With this plan your payments
are spread out over a 15-year period, with the first payment being due one year
after the issuance of the tax bill. One-fifteenth of the assessment, along with
the interest on the unpaid balance, is due annually. On the annual payment date,
additional payments can be made to the principal balance. At any time during the
15-year period the balance can be paid in full. This payoff would also include
the interest to the payoff date (very similar to a home loan). Tax bill interest
rates are generally less than most home loans.
Springfield also has a
sanitary sewer lateral loan program to assist in the cost of connecting houses/businesses
to the sewer system. The cost to connect the building service to the public sewer
is a separate cost to the property owner. The lateral loan program allows for
loans up to $1,500 to be repaid over 120 months at an interest rate of 6% per
annum.
Financial assistance is also available from Community Development
Funds for applicants meeting income guidelines for both the Sewer District Tax
Bills and the building lateral connection. This program can help with up to 100%
of these costs. Call Marti Fewell at 864-1039 for information on this program.
How is my monthly sewer bill calculated? (top)
The monthly sewer charge for residential service is calculated by adding
the base charge of $7.82/month to your monthly flow charge of $0.85 per 100 cubic
feet based upon the average water usage for the months of January, February, and
March. The average residential sewer charge is approximately $13 per month. This
monthly sewer use charge is collected to fund the maintenance and operation costs
of the system.
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