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ImageAccording to the March 20, 2007 Ithaca Journal, the Town of Lansing is attempting to get a 38 year sewer loan from the USDA Rural Utilities Service. They state that the purpose of the sewer project is to “eliminate ground and surface water pollution that is currently caused by inadequate on-site sewage disposal systems.”

The stated purpose of the funding request contradicts the Town’s own empirical evidence. Town testing of Ladoga Park septic systems revealed NO septic systems failures. The Town keeps digging for an environmental excuse to build this sewer, and time after time they come up empty handed. However, the Town won’t bow to logic when they have developers, lakefront property owners and a bank president on the Sewer Committee.

I recently spoke with personnel in the Cayuga County environmental department. That county dye tests all residential septic systems within a 7 year period. Properties on lakes and near creeks are inspected more frequently. This costs home owners $60-$100 each time, and it costs the county $10,000-$20,000 per year to administer. A third grader can easily see that $850/year sewer system is a LOT more expensive than a county wide septic testing program.

Cayuga County also explained to me that testing does impact homeowners that have to make repairs to old systems. They explained that a landowner with two old septic systems had to spend $7,000 per system to bring them into compliance. This is still a lot less than $30,000 over 30 years for the proposed Lansing sewer project.

They also told me that the Town of Springport voted in a sewer and water district for homes along the lake. The only people who have to pay for it are those who receive the services. They didn't get the entire county to pay for a problem local to lakefront properties.

I think that there is a huge potential in Lansing to implement an inspection system similar to Cayuga County's, that would give Lansing taxpayers 100% of the benefit of a sewer project at less than 30% of the cost over the lifetime of the average septic system.

If you oppose the sewer project and the reasons for it, by April 2, 2007 you should write or Email: Steve Farkas, Supervisor, Town of Lansing, 20 Auburn Road, Lansing, NY, 14882. If you want to inform the USDA that the environmental basis for loaning money for this project is unfounded, please write to: USDA RUS, 903 Hanshaw Road, Suite 2, Ithaca, NY, 14850.

If you wish to contact your legislators, go to www.NoLansingSewers.com and click the "Take Action!" tab.

From: Hugh Bahar


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