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Corrales Wants to Hire Waste Water Officer |
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Written by Jeff Radford
Corrales Comment
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Monday, 25 January 2010 |
Although the Corrales sewer line is not expected to be operational
until late next year, Village officials may hire a “water quality
and waste water officer” within a few months.
What, exactly, would that new staffer do?
Throughout much of last year, the role of the prospective new hire was
discussed in mostly vague terms. Now finally a position description is
being word-smithed for possible approval at the January 26 council
meeting.
The version scrutinized earlier this month stated, “The Water Quality
and Wastewater (WQ&W) Manager is responsible for overseeing
education and remediation programs for privately-owned wastewater
treatment systems in the Village of Corrales.
“He or she is also responsible for operation and maintenance of a
public collection and transmission wastewater system. Administration of
a groundwater testing program is also involved.”
Under “essential duties and responsibilities,” the draft position
description notes that “A Village-wide program of periodic septic tank
maintenance and resident education has been recommended. The WQ&W
Manager will develop and administer this effort.
“For the Corrales Road ‘business core (neighborhood and commercial
zone), a STEP [septic tank effluent pressurized] system has been
designed to remove effluent from serviced properties to a connection
with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility’s treatment plant.
“The STEP system design contemplates extensions to identified
residential areas of higher density as funding becomes available. The
WQ&W Manager will provide operation and maintenance for the STEP
collection and transmission line and assist in determining economical
connection equipment for the property owners served.
“Some user-pay billing system for the STEP may also require management by the WQ&W Manager.
“Though voluntary well testing efforts have occurred over the past two
decades, the Village also wishes to conduct a systematic groundwater
monitoring program, and the WQ&W Manager will oversee this as well.”
The position description recognizes that the new staffer would have to
enter onto private property to enforce regulations, so “good
interpersonal skills with Village residents and co-workers are
important.”
At the January 12 council meeting, Councillor Jim Fahey suggested
another crucial role for the future employee: arranging and negotiating
purchase and installation of the effluent pumps that would take liquid
waste from property owners’ septic tanks and pump it out to the sewer
main along Corrales Road.
Fahey’s thought, shared by other councillors, is that if the Village
negotiates a bulk purchase of a specific type of effluent pump for each
property to be serviced by the sewer line, the best price will be
obtained. Similarly, a contract to install all of the same kind of
effluent pump will command the best price.
Funds are already being generated through a new gross receipts tax to pay the part-time salary of the WQ&W staffer.
Mayor Phil Gasteyer pointed out that a one-sixteenth cent tax has been
collected on the sale of goods and services in Corrales since January
1. The current municipal budget that runs through June 30, 2010
includes anticipated revenue of $23,000 from the new “environmental
services” tax.
The mayor and councillors discussed at some length what the new
staffer’s title should be… “manager,” “director,” “supervisor,” or
“officer.” They finally decided on calling the new position Corrales’
“Water Quality and Wastewater Officer.”
Noting the connotation of “officer” referring to a policeman, one of
the councillors laughingly suggested calling the person the “sewer
police.”
Prospects that the long-controversial sewer line would become reality
expanded significantly when a citizens’ advisory committee recommended
in favor of the project at the April 28, 2009 council meeting.
Mayor Gasteyer said then he anticipated the council might impose a
one-sixteenth cent gross receipts tax hike to help pay for the expected
municipal waste water program.
The Water Quality Management Advisory Committee headed by long-time
N.M. Environment Department waste water supervisor Urey Lemen
recommended that Village government cover just about all hook-up and
equipment costs, including laying an effluent line from each septic
tank out to the sewer main along Corrales Road and installation of the
pump to discharge into the sewer line.
Homeowners and business owners within 200 feet of Corrales Road between
Wagner Lane/Old Church Road and Meadowlark would pay just $500
initially (if they committed within 90 days of the sewer line’s
completion) and then a monthly service fee of perhaps $20. The
property owner would also have to pay to extend electrical power out to
an effluent pump near their septic tank.
The Village would acquire an easement on each property in the business
district through which a contractor would attach an effluent pump and
line from the existing septic tank, bury that one-inch diameter line
out to Corrales Road, and then connect its output line into the
sewer main.
If anything goes wrong or needs maintenance, Village government would
pick up the tab. But Village government would have to have someone in
charge of that program, which is where the new WQ&W officer comes
in.
And then there’s the septic tank pumping program and how to administer
and pay for that. Property owners would be required to pump out
the old septic tank every three years, because the Village’s sewer line
is designed to take only waste water.
But (presumably) the homeowner is already pumping the tank every two to three years, so that’s not an added expense.
For at least a year now, councillors have seemed amenable to covering
most of the costs of hooking up homes and business buildings to the
sewer line, instead of forcing owners to absorb those costs which had
been estimated to run thousands of dollars. And they seemed to like the
presentation of that cost-sharing recommendation when it was made by
committee chairman Urey Lemen at the April 28, 2009 meeting.
That made the political decision so much easier. Much, if not most, of
the public opposition to the sewer line had been based on affected
property owners’ arguments that it was unfair to make them pay for a
sewer.
The Lemen committee also urged that property owners whose system meets
current state regulations be given 10 years to hook up, unless the
parcel is sold or its septic system fails before that time.
In an interview following his report to the council, Lemen summarized
the committee’s conclusions. “Our proposal would be that the Village
would own the whole system, including the pumps, via an easement.
“And if people agree to hook up within the first 90 days of the sewer line being available, it would cost them $500.”
But property owners would have another expense, Lemen cautioned. “The
electrical power part of it, from the house out to the pump to run the
pump, that cost would have to be borne by the homeowner. That cost is
going to vary depending on what kind of electrical service the property
owner has to start with,” he explained.
“The estimates that we got back were that the range might be from $500
to a couple thousand, depending on how much work had to be done. If the
house has excess amperage capacity and room in the breaker box to put
in another breaker, the cost will be fairly minimal.
“In other situations, it’s going to be more expensive.”
But from background discussions, Lemen said, it seems clear that in
extreme hardship situations, even the electrical upgrade costs could be
covered by public funding.
In his report to the mayor and council, Lemen stated his committee’s
position this way. “We agree with the need to proceed with septic
system upgrades in order to protect the village groundwater. After
reviewing the Souder Miller & Associates (SMA) study, and having
met with N.M. Environment Department, we have reached our own
conclusions which differ to some degree with the SMA recommendations.
“However, for this plan to be feasible, we believe it is necessary to
provide funding support to reduce homeowner financial costs.”
In reaching that conclusion, Lemen said, the committee found that “The
Corrales Road high-density area and the congested residential areas of
Sector B [grandfathered small-lot neighborhoods such as those in the
Coroval-Priestly area and eight others identified by Souder Miller]
have increased risk for coliform bacteria, viruses and other
contaminants.”
The 2008 Souder Miller report (See Corrales Comment Vol.XXVI, No.24,
February 9, 2008, “Draft Sewer Plan Calls for All Homes to Have
‘Advanced Treatment’”) identified five areas, or sectors, covering all
of Corrales which require waste water solutions. Sector A is the
Corrales Road business district, Wagner Lane to Meadowlark Lane. Sector
B includes nine relatively high-density, small-lot neighborhoods east
and west of Corrales Road.
Sector C is the remaining one-acre density areas of Corrales east of
the Main Canal. Sector D is Corrales west of the Main Canal, and Sector
E is the two-acre minimum lot size territory formerly within Bernalillo
County.
Souder Miller’s main recommendations were to install the small-diameter
sewer line for the business district which would be connected to
existing sewer lines just south of Cabezon Road at the south end of the
village, and to require conversion of all other septic systems
community-wide to ATSs within specified time frames.
The Water Quality Management Advisory Committee disagreed with SMA’s
“one size fits all” ATS solution, but concurred with the call for a
small-diameter sewer line down Corrales Road.
The committee’s recommendation reads as follows for Sector A.
“A. Proceed with Septic Tank Effluent Pressurized (STEP) system design
and installation. Include stub-ups to facilitate incorporation of
Sector B [higher density residential neighborhoods] sites. Develop
construction design specs for home hook-up.
“B. Establish hook-up criteria consistent with Village needs and
negotiate such with NMED and EPA (example: lots within 200 feet which
have a public private easement to the STEP, exempt lots meeting current
NMED standard until property transfer [sale], system failure or 10
years whichever occurs first).”
The recommendation for Sector B sites is as follows. “NMED considers
the Sector A area and the Sector B areas as equally at risk and of the
highest priority. SMA’s broad-brush approach is not adequate. Small lot
sizes and access issues preclude a ‘one size fits all’ ATS requirement.
“In many small lots, installing an ATS would compromise drain field
and/or setback from well. Each of the nine identified areas has unique
characteristics, varying in: distance from the STEP, dispersion of
small and larger lots, availability of adjacent open areas, etc.
“Recommendations:
“A. Initiate design and installation of STEP system for areas south of
Old Church Road. Some funding may be available from existing grants.
Develop additional funding to complete STEP extensions for the southern
areas [such as Priestly-Coroval, North Felice Perea, Mockingbird,
Mountain Shadows, Ranchitos and other higher-density neighborhoods
south of the Corrales Road-Old Church Road intersection].
“B. Study northern Sector B areas [higher-density neighbors east and
west of Corrales Road north of the Corrales Road-Old Church Road
intersection] to develop adequate waste water solutions for each case.
Alternatives should include: extension of STEP, cluster installations
to a larger ATS, neighborhood treatment systems, gravity drain clusters
to connection point to STEP, shared wells, etc.
“In those areas of Sector B that contain larger lots which meet current
NMED standard, use same hook-up criteria as Sector A.” [That is, a
requirement to hook up within 10 years unless the existing septic
system fails or the property is sold to a new owner.]
The committee also recommended that the Village Council pass an
ordinance requiring that all septic systems and ATSs be pumped out at
least every three years. Proof of that periodic pumping would have to
be submitted to the Village Office.
One full-time and one part-time employee would have to be added to the
Village staff, the committee estimated. Their work would be related to
initiation of a septic pumping and inspection program. “Send out
notices requiring documentation to Village of date of last pumping and
system permit information; provide owners notification on next required
pump out. Establish list of acceptable pumping firms. Enlist aid of
pumpers to notify Village of any failures; consider bulk rate contract
with pumper.
“Identify non-performing systems. Use the following: pumper firm input,
lack of owner response, comparison with NMED permit records, etc.
Homeowners not responding with requested documentation will be assumed
to have non-complying systems.
“Take enforcement action where necessary to eliminate non-performing systems.”
Also recommended is an ongoing low-cost targeted water sampling
program. As Lemen explained at the April 28 council meeting, that might
mean periodic water testing upstream and downstream from suspected
contamination sources.
The committee assumed that most, if not all, illegal cess pools and
failed septic systems will be discovered while implementing solutions
in Sectors A and B. “Cesspools and non-conforming systems are
contamination sources of concern, but those not in Sectors A or B are
probably few in numbers by comparison. In any event, the process of
identifying and correcting these cases can, and should be, carried out
in parallel with Sector A and B actions.”
Committee members studied the waste water programs set up for Bosque
Farms where municipal government acquired easements onto individual
property to access septic tanks and installed effluent lines and
equipment which the municipality owns, operates and maintains.
The Souder Miller report called for all property owners in Corrales
except those served by the sewer line and homes on two acres or more in
the former Bernalillo County area to switch from conventional septic
systems to an ATS within 10 years if not sooner.
“Our recommendations is that it would only be those lots that are less
than three-quarter acres or don’t otherwise meet current NMED standards
who would have to install ATSs,” Lemen said. “If you meet current
standards, you don’t need an ATS. If you don’t meet current standards
in any sector, you would need to have one eventually, in either five
years or ten years depending on whether you were in Sectors D and E,
and immediately upon system failure or property transfer.”
“We got rid of almost all the ATSs, really,” Bill Vega, a member of the committee, added.
Lemen and Vega were asked why the committee recommended the
small-diameter STEP project rather than the conventional “big pipe”
sewer line.
“The rationale was that, amongst the options that were presented —a
STEP system going to a treatment plant in the Village of Corrales, or a
STEP system going to Albuquerque, or some ‘pod’ systems or some other
on-site disposal— the most cost-effective way to do it was to go with
the STEP system to the Albuquerque sewer system. That’s why we went
with that option.
“And the funding is available for it, and it may not be there forever if we don’t move forward with it.
“We didn’t really feel like the option of doing nothing in the
congested areas was realistic,” Lemen explained. “The homeowner
there may say ‘My septic system is working fine. I flush the
toilet and the water goes away.’ But what impact is that having on the
ground water and public health?
“We felt that with the SMA study and the Environment Department
saying these areas are a threat to ground water in Corrales, something
needed to be done. Among the options on the table, we felt like the
STEP was the most cost-effective and the way to go.”
Vega added, “One of the things we spent some time thinking through
on the committee was: ‘okay there’s nothing in black-and-white
saying contamination has occurred and that we have an immediate
contamination problem.’
“But the issue is, if we wait until that point, which could be in the
near-future based on the density, once Corrales gets painted with a
‘contaminated ground water’ issue, potential home buyers are going to
go somewhere else.
“And it’s not going to be [a stigma] just for properties in the
dense area, it’s going to be the whole village that’s going to be
painted with the ‘contaminated’ issue.
“To allow this to get to the point where people say, ‘Hey, Corrales has
got contaminated ground water,’ I don’t think anybody wants that to
happen.”
The committee made no recommendation or estimate as to what property
owners would be charged monthly for sewer service. Presumably, Village
government would be charged a bulk rate for the volume of waste water
dumped into Albuquerque’s sewers, but a formula for how individual
homeowners or businesses would be billed by the Village to recoup those
charges has not been determined. But higher volume users, such as
restaurants, would probably pay more than residents.
No estimate was given for what the monthly service fee might be, but
the committee learned that the fee for similar service in Bosque Farms
is $21 per month. “They have a bigger system with more hook-ups than we
would have here, so whether the monthly fee would be comparable, I
don’t know,” Lemen admitted.
That monthly charge might also include a share of the cost to
administer the municipal waste water program, since the committee
anticipates that at least one additional Village staffer would be
required to send bills, record payments, verify that septic tanks are
pumped and see that pressure pumps and effluent lines are repaired or
maintained.
But some of those administrative costs might be covered if Village
officials vote to impose a new kind of gross receipts tax authorized by
the State Legislature. Local governments are now allowed to impose a
one-sixteenth cent sales tax if revenues are directed toward
environmental improvement projects.
Over the past year, councillors here have discussed doing that; a
proposal to impose the new tax may be introduced at the May 12 council
meeting.
Vega cautioned that the Village will have to strictly enforce the
requirement that septic tanks hooked to the sewer line be pumped out
every three years.
Since the Village will be responsible for repairs and replacements on
the effluent pumps, he noted, “it’s important that this three-year
pump-out is rigidly imposed. If you don’t take care of what goes into
the pump, it’s going to have a shorter life.”
The committee recommends that each property owner be responsible for
pumping out the septic tank and providing proof to the Village that it
has been done. “There has been talk of getting a group-bid, so there is
a preferred provider who would offer a better rate,” Lemen recalled.
“And that could be the approach on power hook-ups. Maybe there is some
way the Village could go out for a bid on electrical work and get a
better price that way.”
The committee had no recommendation on which of the Sector B
higher-density neighborhoods ought to be given priority for extended
STEP service. “All of the Sector B sites ought to be done. But we
didn’t have any ranking as which ones should be first,” Lemen said.
Vega suggested “The Village needs to get somebody on contract, whether
it’s SMA or whoever, to put that plan together, just like they did for
the business district.”
Based on the estimated $6,000 it would cost per hook-up in the business
district, it would take another $1.5 million to install the STEP pipe
to all Sector B neighborhoods and an additional $1.5 million to make
the estimated 250 home hook-ups.
So extending the small-diameter sewer line to all of the higher-density
neighborhoods east and west of Corrales Road south of Old Church
Road might require another $3 million. No funding source has been
identified for that.
Vega emphasized the committee’s assessment that ground water quality
“is a community problem, and we are all affected. So we should
have a community solution. People shouldn’t say, ‘Well, it’s not my
problem. Let somebody else take care of it.’”
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