SEWER AND WATER


Sewer Agreement - July 14, 2009
On July 14, 2009, the Clark County Commissioners signed their part of the proposed sewer agreement for Bethel Township and forwarded it to the Miami County Commissioners for their signatures. The agreement is for 50 years for up to 1.2 millions gallons of wastewater treatment per day. 

Please note that page 6 of the proposed agreement clearly states if Clark County is providing wastewater treatment to any area Bethel Township that the same area SHALL be REQUIRED to purchase water (Deferments are granted on land zoned agriculture).

Map of the Service Area - Clark County line on the east, Montgomery County line on the south, Flick Road on the west and then west diagonally to Route 571. The boundaries are subject to being extended.


Fees, rates and charges associated with the proposed contract are:

  • The prevailing sewer rates charged by Clark County, plus 20% .A typical family might pay about $330 per year for sewer. In addition, they would be charged the rates charged by Clark County for water.
  • Bethel Township residents will be charged Clark County's Capacity and Connection charge of approximately $975, plus an additional 40%, roughly $400, for a total capacity and connection charge of about $1,400.
  • A Miami County tap fee which may be $200 for water and $200 for the sewer tap-in; about $300 for the water connection and an unknown amount for the sewer connection, for an estimate of approximately $1,000.
  • A Miami County sewerage service charge that is "at least 25%" above Clark County's. At this time, it is unknown what this charge covers.
  • Most likely there will be a linear foot charge based on the frontage of the property; perhaps $100 per linear foot for water and another $100 per foot for the sewer line. This is the most costly part of public water and sewer service and the part that is usually added to tax bills as an assessment. If your frontage is 150 feet the cost could be approximately $30,000 for water and sewer lines.
  • Interest and other debt service charges on loans acquired to pay for  construction and maintenance on a proposed water and sewer system that most Bethel Township residents don't want or need will have to be paid, too.
  • Plumbers fees will be extra.

At this time, we do not have confirmation, but we strongly suspect that if the Miami County Commissioners approve the proposed agreement, Bethel Township property owners will be paying for the expansion of Clark County's Waste Water Treatment Plant and/or Miami County, using our money, will become part owner, and share in the profit,.of the Clark County WWTP. The expansion of the plant may cost as much as $20 million.

Multiple request for specific information regard to how much the proposed sewer and water agreement will cost Bethel Township residents have been made, but the requests for specific information have gone unheeded. Accordingly, if this information is not correct, it it will be because official calculations have not been made available. It is our hope that a reader will use the attached file to inform our thinking on likely costs to property owners. Also, when official estimates are made available, they will be posted here, but it is likely that they will not be made public under after the agreement is in place.

We have been told that the cost has yet to be determined, but it stretches the imagination to believe that two county governments have entered into a 50-year agreements without first determining the cost of the system and the REVENUE they will receive as a result of the proposedagreement. Further, it is unspeakable for our township trustees to have advocated for and committed to public water and sewer for the township without disclosing the cost to those they serve.

In addition, there is significant doubt that Section 208 of the Federal Clean Air Act is being complied with. Page 6, paragraph D, of the proposed sewer agreement says, "That to the extent that further action is necessary to establish or designate the FPA boundaries . . . " both counties will seek the necessary revisions. We contend that those revisions should be made BEFORE the agreement is signed so that affected parties can be heard.


Localized system for Brandt

Centralized system for Eastern Bethel Township

Centralized system for Western Bethel Township

Sewer as it related to the proposed Development Plan.

Timeline



Bethel Township News and Views

Miami County, Ohio