Council backs sewer district

HENDERSON — As the Town Council tries to position itself to build a municipal sewage system with the help of federal economic stimulus funds, business owners say the service would be a boon to the area's long-term development, even as some worry over the costs of the project.

After a brief public hearing Thursday, the council approved the formation of Sewer District 1. The measure moves the project closer to construction-ready status, a major criterion for receiving financing from the state Environmental Facilities Corp. as it doles out federal money for projects throughout the state.

The issue is a tricky one for the business community, since the effects of a municipal system on profits would vary. Businesses on the water along Harbor Road could save on costs and maintenance headaches associated with storing and pumping sewage, while owners with land for leach fields farther away from the harbor could end up spending more if tied into a municipal system.

Still, nearly everyone seems to agree that preserving the quality of Lake Ontario is crucial to the town's long-term economic well-being. And there's something else business owners agree on: their septic systems and holding tanks leak no unpleasant effluent into the harbor — but the guy next door? They're not so sure.

John M. Irwin, a resident of Clay who is chairman of building and grounds for the Henderson Harbor Yacht Club, spoke in favor of the measure at the public hearing, as did Robert E. Ashodian, 14537 Harbor Road, who is the club's treasurer and a member of the Chamber of Commerce's sewer committee.

Afterward, Mr. Irwin said the yacht club spends between $4,000 and $4,500 each season on wastewater disposal. Health regulations prohibit the club from having a leach field so close to the harbor, "so we have to have 5,000 gallons of sewage stored and hauled away at least once, maybe twice a week," he said.

A municipal sewage system could bring that cost down. If Henderson's project application is approved and the town receives funding according to existing state formulas, district customers would be charged $783 per equivalent dwelling unit per year, said Kris D. Dimmick, vice president of Bernier, Carr & Associates, Watertown, the town's engineer. For businesses and organizations, EDUs for sewage service likely will match those assigned for water service, he said.

Westview Lodge manager Amy Saiff said the business spent more than $5,000 for sewage hauling between June and September last year. She said she believes a municipal system will save the business money in the long run. More important, she said, it would be better for the environment, make property in the hamlet more marketable and reduce a major headache of operating the lodge during its peak season when pumping is required nearly every day.

"We're all licensed charter fishermen. We want to be sure that everything's properly maintained so there's no effluence into the water — that's a very, very big concern for us," she said.

Gary K. Bowman, owner with his wife of Aspinwall Motel at Route 178 and County Route 123, which has a septic system and requires no pumping, said a system would be good for the town overall, but "if it's going to add several thousand dollars to our operating costs — when that doesn't cost us anything — we might say, 'Don't do us any favors.'" On the other hand, Mr. Bowman said, his leach field might be right for development if he didn't need it for its current use.

John J. Killius, owner of Henchen's Marina, said his interests spread across both sides of the issue. He's satisfied with the low cost of his home's septic system — he estimated he spends about $200 every five years to maintain it — but at his business across Harbor Road, he spends about $1,900 every summer on wastewater storage and disposal.

Aside from the immediate financial impact, Mr. Killius said there's no question a sewage system would be a good thing for the town.

"It's going to be good for the lake," he said.

And that, long-term, could be good for the business.

Still, as a homeowner, he is concerned about cost.

"For some people, that may be a large increase in their expenses," he said.

The state is poised to announce a second batch of stimulus-funded projects later this month.