With the last of the sewer line stub-outs for future connection completed during the third week of July, another series of pressure tests will be conducted to determine whether the sewer  main will leak once liquid waste is pumped to it from homes and businesses along Corrales Road.

Pumps to be installed near existing septic tanks on properties adjacent to Corrales Road from Wagner Lane to  Cabezon Road will provide the pressure for the type of sewer line being installed, a “septic tank effluent pressurized,” or STEP system. These systems are also referred to as “septic tank effluent pumping.”

Mayor Phil Gasteyer said July 14 the sewer line contractor should begin by August 6 to install the sewer main from Cabezon Road on south to just past the Alameda-Coors intersection.

That third and final phase of the sewer main project is expected to be the most complicated. The construction firm’s drilling team will have to burrow under the Alameda-Coors intersection while avoiding buried electrical cables for traffic signals and utility lines.

Gasteyer said another delay due to breakdown of the drilling equipment will likely be avoided since “the contractor has pledged to have a back-up boring machine available throughout, a recent problem when the sole machine broke down” last month.

No decisions on who will be required to hook-up to the sewer line and when were made at the July 17 Village Council meeting. Discussion focused on  getting better cost estimates for expected plumbing and electrical work involved in installing effluent pumps at each septic tank as well as the cost to run a  small-diameter pipe from the pump out to the main.

Using part of the nearly $1 million provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Corrales’ sewer project, Village officials have already purchased the wastewater pumps to be installed.

The mayor and council also weighed options for managing, operating and maintaining the system once installation is complete next year. Gasteyer said that might include approving a position description for a future Village staffer to be in charge of the STEP system, “although my present intention is to contract out, rather than add a staff person.”

In 2010, the council approved a special gross receipts tax for environmental services on the assumption that a funding source would be needed to manage the system.

A persistent objection to the sewer project here has been projected installation costs for septic tank pumps and  running pipe out to the sewer main stub-outs along Corrales Road. It could cost thousands of dollars for a homeowner to upgrade the home’s electrical service to accommodate the pump, villagers argued, and thousands more to pay a  plumber to connect to the main. 

While some businesses might be able to absorb those costs (especially if they benefitted from sewer service) low-income families in homes along Corrales Road might be hard-pressed to pay the required costs. For that reason, the council’s discussions over the past four years have included exploration of ways to subsidize payment of those costs.

Village officials have been assured that state programs exist for financial assistance in such situations.

No guidelines for  homeowners have been issued yet as to how the STEP system will work. But such a “homeowners’ guide” has been produced in Washington state by the Clark Regional Wastewater District. It explains: “ The STEP system includes a septic tank and a pump. Sewage is conveyed by gravity to the tank through your building’s plumbing line. Liquid waste is pumped under pressure to the public sewer system. Solid waste will remain in the STEP tank where it naturally degrades and is eventually pumped out.

“STEP system pumps typically turn on every one or two days with normal water use.

“Clark Regional Wastewater District maintenance personnel will inspect your tank at least every five years and will pump out the solids every 10 years if needed.”

The Washington state STEP guidelines stress the importance of using water efficiently, flushing responsibly (no dental floss, fats, oils or grease, feminine hygiene products, condoms, diapers, swabs, cigaret butts, cat litter or coffee grounds), minimizing use of garbage disposals which increase flow of solids to the septic tank, avoiding septic tank additives which can cause major damage to the system and directing rainwater run-off away from the septic tank.

The pumps to be installed here will likely have an alarm light to indicate a malfunction or loss of power. The Washington homeowners’ guidelines explain it is the homeowner’s responsibility to keep electrical power to the pump. “If a power outage occurs, it is not necessary to call the district. Your system is designed to work normally once power returns. Your tank has capacity for approximately 24 hours of limit use in a power outage (e.g. toilets, sinks, showers). If your electric power provider cannot restore power within 24  hours, contact the district for further assistance.”