Speak Out - Response

A friend told me there was a Speak Out comment in the SE Missourian on Sunday. Unfortunately, I didn't see it and can't seem to find it online. The caller's concern was that he or she was on a fixed income, their septic systems works fine after a recent repair, and he or she basically was opposed to the District plan to install a system in the Fruitland area. Unfortunately, there will always be complaints such as this with a project like ours. However, the fact that the resident just had to spend a small fortune on their system is exactly the reason for the District to install sewers. We would like to prevent others from having to do the same thing, by installing a cost-effective and permanent solution to the wastewater problems in the area. For every person who has needed to repair or replace their septic system recently, there is a dozen more that will need to do the same thing in the near future. I feel it will be better for the entire community to have a sewer system in place. It is good for property values, economic growth, and jobs in the area. I'm certainly getting ahead of myself by commenting on current issues now, when I'm trying to give the history of District activities in chronological order here, but the whole point of this blog is to keep citizens informed and communicate what is going on. I would like to point out that if and when a sewer is installed near your house, the hookup to the system will cost you nothing up front. The District will cover the cost of the connecting your house to the sewer and restoring your yard to a reasonably good condition. There will be a $100 refundable deposit needed, similar to other utilities serving the area, and monthly bills will start arriving the next month. The costs of removing or filling septic tanks with sand or gravel will be the responsibility of the homeowner.