The sewer-versus-septic-system controversy on Marco Island has been so emotional for so long it could be a miniseries on the Lifetime channel or an Ultimate Fighting bout at Germain Arena.
Soon, however, the conflict will have a new focus — the cost of stopping the sewer program in midstream.
Money has been at the heart of the heat all along. Some sewer opponents claim septic tanks are sanitary, safe and environmentally friendly, but for most islanders who oppose sewers, it seems to be all about the money.
Now comes specific money talk from a former City Council member and longtime advocate of sewering Marco, John Arceri. His information comes from city officials who may release details soon, if they haven’t already done so by the time you read this.
Question: What would be the cost to Marco islanders if the sewer program were halted? That could happen if an anti-sewer majority wins City Council elections in January.
Here’s a glimpse of what the city officials believe would be the cost of stopping the sewer project early next year:
• About $31 million spent to date on engineering, lift stations, plant expansion, planning and piping would be considered “stranded,” that is, of no use.
• About $4 million would be needed to expand the present drinking water facility. That’s because total sewering would provide more than 200 million gallons of reusable water per year for condo irrigation. That would save about 12 percent of drinking water now used for irrigation. Without that savings, we’d have to expand the drinking water plant. And it’s not in the budget.
• Twenty-eight condo buildings have reusable water lines installed, awaiting that 200 million gallons that won’t be there if the sewers are stopped. Condos would have to continue paying $3.48 per 1000 gallons of drinking water for irrigation, instead of reusable water at $1.04 per 1000 gallons.
There’s a lot more devil in the details, but the impact of killing sewer expansion would be dramatic in water/sewer rate increases for everybody.
Those on sewers would pay more because others are not being sewered. And we septic people would pay extra utility costs for stopping sewers we didn’t get. Intangible costs are tough to calculate, but neighborhoods with sewers probably would have higher property values than comparable areas without.
It’s also likely state authorities might mandate sewers within a few years or at least require regular inspections and maintenance of septic systems and upgrades to newer, more expensive septic systems when old systems fail.
Experts say septic systems have at most a 20- to 25-year lifespan if properly maintained. On Marco, I’m told, 31 percent of homes are older than 25 years.
Bottom line: If the sewer plan is killed, water/sewer rates would increase for every Marco dwelling, sewered or not, to finance the consequences of not finishing the job.
About 85 percent of Marco dwellings and all businesses will be on or committed to having central sewers by the end of this year, officials say.
Left on septic systems will be 2,607 single-family homes, scheduled for central sewer by the end of 2011.
Those who want to kill the sewer plan may dispute all this. I await their numbers. It will be issue No. 1 in the election 68 days away.
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Don Farmer is a former ABC News correspondent and a CNN anchor. E-mail: don@donfarmer.com.
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Comments » 13
rcbauburn writes:
I hope everyone remembers that Don Farmer writes columns with humer. If this issue wasn't so serious we could laugh at him. Your column is 90 percent incorrect and the only thing you said that was right was that when the people find out about this whole sewer fiasco, they won't be very happy. Let's find out and print CURRENTLY how much sewage from our existing system is leaking and leaching into our ground..............Then find out that in 2 years there has been only 2 failed septic tanks on the island which possibly leaked 200 gallons each. Everyday the sewer is leaking by design thousands of gallons of raw sewage and nobody wants to talk about it. I'm no expert, so check with the EPA.
bbyrone46 writes:
Don, the city said our septic tanks were leaking into the waterways, the city said that the sewers were an ecological sound safe system for Marco Island, the city said it's plan for the waste water treatment plant amounted to a refurbishment. The city wants you to believe that 80 some percent of all sewer construction is complete. You and the city tell us the county and state will force us to go to sewers. ALL of these claims have already been proven to be LIES. This project has spent 30 million of our tresure on something we did not need. Why should we believe the figures this city is going to pour out in defense of continuing the sewer? We have heard them before. We are tired of the lies and we need to halt the sewers now. Any candidate that uses this propaganda to continue the sewer wants Marco to be a construction site for FIVE MORE YEARS! Stopping the sewer today will stop the bleeding of 100 million more of our dollars. Money that can be used to pay for things this City really requires. Vote for change, vote to stop these lies, vote to stop this project, vote to conserve our money, vote for Allen, Batte, Guidry, Hall or Neylon.
happy34145 writes:
Funny thing that Farmer seems to leave out is that it will cost even more to complete the STRP than to stop it.
Utilities are going to increase no matter what. Arceri and the city are going to push this scare tactic because they overpaid for almost defunct utilities and they want to blame the improvements needed on adding the septics instead of admitting they purchased a lemon. They didn't know what they were doing then and they don't know what they are doing now.
And lets just say that what Farmer says is true then the only correct thing for the council to do is vote NO for any more construction at this time. If they vote yes then they are the ones who are to blame for any cost that can not be recouped.
Either way - point is IT WILL COST MORE TO COMPLETE THE STRP THAN TO STOP IT.
dc5799 writes:
Mr. Farmer should have attended Butch Neylons meeting explaining the pros & cons about sewers and septic. That way he could write his column first hand, never mind writing it with second hand info.
bigwheel writes:
Don usually speaks with clarity of thought, but he is obviously under the Arceri spell. The EPA has ample data that reveal a properly maintained septic can last decades. In addition, data reveals sewers leak on Marco thousands of gallons daily. The city will never admit that fact. No scare tactic by Arceri and others will stop the new council from returning Marco to the citizens. I'm very curious to see what the forensic audit of the city coffers will reveal. Can anyone say "jailtime is at hand?"
barfieldfly writes:
Farmer Don, its about high time you start considering what your legacy is going to be on Marco, the way I see it, this whole thing is poised to blow up right in your face.
Marcoite writes:
Don, you like to say that it is about the money. It is .... because the money requests never stop.
I am not amused to read that the Septic Tank Replacement Program now needs an extra 1.8 million dollars. Is this the end of the extras or will we find out that additional plant components, for example, will cost an extra 2 million. Will someone familiar with the numbers total the cost of the project. How much more than 130 Million will we spend?
It seems that we need a 5 year plan showing how much money will be required to complete the Septic Tank Replacement Program including the upgrading of the associated utilities on Marco .....and fix the infrastructure, the bridges etc.
No more surprises!!!!
I believe that "the City" has this information. Perhaps Bill Harrison should give us an outline and the bottom line.
The council could request his presence and an accounting at the Monday meeting. This is not just about Bridges
bbyrone46 writes:
MarcoFacts: If you knew anything about septic tanks your comments might have value. A septic tank is a solid vault with an intake pipe from your home and an outflow to your drainage field (both are at the top of the tank). The tank lies just below the surface of your lawn. Rising tides have no effect on the contents unless the tide covers your entire lawn (whereby your home is probably gone). Even then it will only allow the infiltration of a few gallons of ground water, as the tank is already full of water from your own use (hydrolic pressures will inhibit further infiltration). If your tank were empty a rising high tide might push it up out of the ground like an empty swimming pool. Septic tanks are not swimming pools or cesspools and they are much safer then sewers, which leak and allow infiltraton soon after they are installed. Exfiltration of the contents of your tank is limited to effluents as the solids remain in the bottom except for fats and paper which is contained by a filter. Infiltration from rising ground water is constant in sewers. Any ground water entering a sewer pipe goes to the plant for processing. Unlike sewers, septic tanks cause little or no collateral damage when they fail. They are natural processors and because they use no energy or chemicals to function, they are also the most efficient way to process human waste on Marco Island. I am not spinning, I am attempting to inform you. Get your facts straight before you write.
Lolala writes:
jchamberland: Don't you know enough to question the government when it tells you something? Ronald Reagan used to say "trust but verify". He also admonished: "Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets". Or how about: "Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them". jc, a clear understanding of the issues that are frustrating our residents today is necessary before voting. The issues facing our community are lack of trust in government, ensuring fiscal accountability, lessening the financial burden on residents and improving quality of life. I know of only five candidates that have addressed those concerns. They are Allen, Batte, Guidry, Hall and Neylon. You need only vote for four of them. All the remaining candidates do not not believe in change and will tear up our city for the next 5 to 8 years.
tptcolumbusway writes:
does this guy ever deal in facts? The state has no plans to require that the island have sewers. This would happen if we were having a septic tank issue which we are not. 2 septic tank issues in 2 years. What is the real issue Farmer, do you have a property that would benefit from sewers? If you did any research you would know that sewers pollute, septic systems do not. This is just more manure for the compost pile on Farmer's funny farm. When will NDN fire you?
JohninMarco writes:
Well Don you pushed and push for the sewer program, and now most of your neighbors are moving or trying too. This madness has all but ruined this community. We have a city council who is a one trick poney and have forced the residents into this financial nightmare called the STRP. Just wait, if the economic down turn continues, most business will be the next victims.
JoeFubietze writes:
Can we all do ourselves a favor and try to deal with logic? Cause and Effect? Common Sense? Follow me here, it ain't that tough....MI incorporates...first big storm...city officials (Bill Moss) try to effectively 'close down' the city and remove all residents during the storm...EVERYONE womanes...ALOT...ever since then the city makes a big deal out of the fact that it doesn't force an evacuation during a storm...How in the world does the city ever evacuate again and not get the repercussions?...Well, if there is a central sewer system then everyone has to obey a mandatory evacuation due to safety issues (poop coming up from the sewer system)...Problem solved...And because it is a safety issue the city can keep everyone out as long as they want until they call the situation safe...And there is no-one on the island to second-guess the city while the evacuation is in place...Now, no more Bill Moss and no more focus on getting everyone off the island during a storm for an extended period...Wow, we all get to pay (in huge amounts) for one person (that is no longer in charge) to have the control that he wants without our input...Wow, even John Arceri was duped into thinking this was for other reasons...
JoeFubietze writes:
womanes=complains....sorry
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