Guest soapbox: Sewer system: First step is most important

How do you pay for a sewer system? Sometimes the best way to an answer to a problem is to ask the right question. I have only been directly involved in one large-scale building project: The Hi-Desert Playhouse. I was president of the group during the late ’70s and early ’80s when it was built. We never did have enough money to build it, but we built it. The thing that made it work, I think, was that we started it. Then, we had to finish.With a piece of donated land and about $20,000 in the bank, all we could afford was the slab. So we poured the slab and it became the seed from which the rest grew.We held fund-raising dances on that slab, organized swap meets on the slab to sell donated goods and put up signs announcing what we were trying to do. As soon as we could, we put up some walls so that passersby on the highway could see that we were serious.In about three years the playhouse was built and functioning well enough to host its first production: the musical “Oklahoma.”Until the recent water damage forced its closure, it was probably worth well over $500,000.Of course, we received a great deal of donated materials and labor, which the Hi-Desert Water District probably could not expect. But they have access to fund-raising means that we did not: state and federal grants, bond measures, etc. And this is a project that cannot be delayed any longer. As our population density grows, the capability of the land to process and purify our waste will diminish — and we will be poisoning our groundwater.
I would say that first efforts should be concentrated on an education program to let all residents know how this cycle operates, how population density affects it and how long it will be until it becomes dangerous.Secondly, the overall system should be designed for incremental construction to allow for intermittent funding.Third, the Town Council should implement the division of the Town into sewage districts so that votes on tax increases or bond issues will allow the more progressive areas to authorize improvements in their district without the approval of the entire population.Fourth, initial emphasis should be put on the installation of the collection network — pipes, holding tanks, etc. — so that they will be available to any resident that chooses to hook up. Processing equipment could be only large enough to handle existing flows and only increased when new hookups require it.
Fifth, the hookup fees should be somewhat less than the cost of a new septic tank and leach system, so that it will become a viable alternative to simple replacement.Sixth, if it is found that increasing the density of septic systems is a valid public health problem, it could be made mandatory that all new construction must connect to the sewer system or should post a bond to cover connection costs when the system is extended to the location.I assume that many existing homeowners will be against the expense of connecting to the sewer system and will necessarily be grandfathered so a stick/carrot approach will be needed. It should be made mandatory that a malfunctioning septic system cannot simply be replaced if a sewer hookup is available. There could also be a fund established to help pay for connections of families on limited incomes. All owners of income property should also be encouraged to connect.However the details are worked out, it is important that something be started soon. That the Town Council and the Hi-Desert Water District met and decided to do nothing is not an auspicious beginning.