Mason Farm/Whitehead Circle eighborhood Public Sewer Extension Information Packet Residents of the Mason Farm/Whitehead Circle eighborhood requested information on the status of sewer extension with their neighborhood at the ovember 15, 2006 eighborhood Conservation District (CD) Kickoff meeting. This information packet is provided in response to that request. Information included in this packet was provided by the Orange County Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA). The following map shows the approximate location of public sewer mains and manhole covers in the Mason Farm/Whitehead Circle neighborhood. To date, OWASA has not developed estimates on the cost to extend sewer mains to areas not served in the neighborhood. These estimates are typically prepared at the request of a neighborhood interested in pursuing extension of sewer lines. This packet includes basic information regarding the process for requesting extension of sewer service to private lots. If you are interested in the possibility of extending sewer service to other areas within the neighborhood, please contact Greg Fuller of OWASA Public Affairs at 919-537-4267 or webmaster@owasa.org. This packet includes: Map of existing sewer mains and manhole covers in the Mason Farm/Whitehead Circle neighborhood; OWASA Sewer Extension Frequently Asked Questions Document; and Steps for requesting sewer extension. For the specific OWASA policies on sewer extension, please refer to http://tinyurl.com/yheu7b Orange Water and Sewer Authority December 2006
1101 Mason Farm Rd. 1301 1303 1307 FORDHAM BLVD 1351 Mason Farm Rd. 1401 OTEYS OTEYS RD RD 1402 S C A 1501 Mason F 1450 Mason Farm
PUBLIC SEWER EXTESIOS WITH ASSESSMETS This information is intended to assist property owners in considering whether to petition OWASA for the extension of public sewers with assessment of benefiting properties. Whether to petition for a sewer extension is a matter for each property owner to decide based on various factors including costs, the condition and any maintenance/ repair needs of the owner's septic system and so forth. Contents: How would sewer construction affect my neighborhood and my property? Sewer installation often occurs on easements outside of the street rights-of-way. A sewer project normally involves clearing 20- to 30-foot-wide areas in easements. Clearing is needed initially to allow construction. But most importantly, clearing protects sewers from blockage by tree roots and wastewater overflows. Sewer construction involves noise, dust and some additional traffic. Construction may take several months to about a year in an area of several dozen homes. Construction may take several months to about a year in an area of several dozen homes. What costs would result from having sewers installed? OWASA fees and charges: 1. An assessment of benefiting properties; and, if a homeowner decides to connect to the sewer: 2. An availability fee (depends on house size as shown below). 3. Monthly service bills after a homeowner connects to the public sewer. A homeowner s private work items: 1. Installing a service lateral from the home to OWASA s sewer 2. If needed, changes to plumbing under the house to connect it to the service lateral 3. Taking the old septic system out of service.
2 HOW WOULD SEWER COSTRUCTIO AFFECT MY EIGHBORHOOD AD MY PROPERTY? Unlike water lines, sewer installation often occurs on easements outside of the street rights-of-way. Sewer easements are often outside of street areas because to work best, sewers need to run downhill so that wastewater will flow using gravity rather than being pumped mechanically. Pumps are not desirable because they may fail during storms and they involve operating costs for electricity and maintenance. Before construction can begin, OWASA would need to acquire from private property owners any easements needed outside of the street rights-of-way. The sewer easements are normally 30 feet wide. When sewers are installed in an established neighborhood, the project normally involves clearing 20- to 30-foot-wide areas within sewer easements. The clearing may include mature trees and areas near streams and creeks. Easement locations are determined through the design process. OWASA s policy is to make design decisions in light of environmental considerations, costs, the need for orderly extension of the sewer system and the need for a reliable system to minimize wastewater overflows. Why is clearing necessary within easements? Initially, to allow construction. But most importantly, so that sewer pipes are protected from tree roots, which tend over a period of years to grow toward pipeline joints. When roots enter pipes over time, the roots can cause sewage to back up and overflow from an upstream manhole. The easements also used for normal maintenance and repairs. Sewer construction necessarily involves noise and dust. If sewer is installed in an area with rock, it would be necessary to do some blasting to remove the rock and open a trench where a pipeline will be installed. With modern techniques and technology, blasting is carefully controlled to limit the impact on a neighborhood.
3 Sewer work brings some additional traffic as the contractor s vehicles come and go to deliver pipes and bring earth-moving equipment to the work area. Where sewer work crosses or is close to a street, the work may slow down traffic. However, access is normally maintained on at least one lane of the street so that residents, emergency service personnel and others can reach residences as needed. Construction may take several months to about a year in an area of several dozen homes. However, the overall process for an assessment project may take 2 to 3 years including: 1. circulating and submitting a petition, 2. an initial public hearing on whether to proceed with the project and assessment process, 3. design and construction work, 4. a second public hearing on proposed assessment amounts and the proposed assessment area, and 5. the final step of levying assessments on benefiting properties.
4 WHAT COSTS WOULD RESULT FROM HAVIG SEWERS ISTALLED? There are several components of cost, including (1) those that involve OWASA s public sewer system and (2) those involving a homeowner s service lateral and related private work. Summary of OWASA-related costs involving the public sewer system The overall costs of a sewer project include: Design or engineering work (and inspections during construction) Acquisition of easements Construction itself Legal work related to easement acquisitions and the assessment process After the construction is complete, OWASA-related costs to homeowners consist of: An assessment of benefiting properties. and, if a homeowner decides to connect to the sewer: An availability fee (depends on house size as shown below). Monthly service bills after a homeowner connects to the public sewer. (Please see more detailed information below on each of these items.) Assessments OWASA assesses benefiting properties for costs of sewer extensions. Under the OWASA Board of Directors policies, OWASA does not assess for engineering expenses up to 15% of project cost, or for legal expenses up to 5% of project cost. Usually, engineering costs are about 10% of project expenses. Similarly, legal expenses are usually less than the 5% cap. Therefore, the engineering and legal costs excluded from assessments are normally less than the 20% maximum. The Town of Chapel Hill adopted in September, 1998 a policy on assistance for sewer extensions for existing neighborhoods within the Town limits. The Town s assistance level is 20% with a cap of $4,500 per lot. OWASA does not assess for costs covered by the Town. After a project is complete, the OWASA Board of Directors would determine the amount of assessments and the list of properties that are assessed. Per-lot assessments are calculated as actual final costs of the completed project, less the OWASA and Town support noted above, divided by the number of benefiting lots.
5 HYPOTHETICAL example of an assessment if the overall project cost equals $17,000 per lot, and if $1,700 of this amount is for OWASA s engineering and legal costs that are excluded from assessments, then the hypothetical assessment amount would be $15,300 less any Town assistance if the assessed property is in the Town of Chapel Hill limits. Payment of assessments over 10 years As permitted under State law, the OWASA has given property owners the option of paying assessments over 10 years with interest on each year s unpaid balance. The interest rate may not exceed 8% under State law. For example, if an assessment of $15,300 is paid over 10 years, the first annual payment would be $1,530 of principal plus interest. If an interest rate of 5% applied for a full year, the interest would be $765, for a total of $2,295. The annual payment would decline in each of the following years as the unpaid balance and therefore the amount of annual interest would decrease. If an assessment is paid in full within 30 days of the publication of notice that the assessment is levied, there is no interest charge. Availability fees These fees are paid to OWASA before a property is connected to a sewer. The availability fee for a residence with a typical 5/8-inch-diameter meter fee depends on house size in square feet. Under rates and fees in effect as of October, 2006, the availability fee for a house with 2,000 square feet is $2,071. Monthly sewer bills Billings begin after a home is connected to the OWASA sewer system and are based on water use as measured at the water meter.
6 For a typical household using 6,000 gallons of water per month, the sewer bill would be $ 27.45 per month, assuming the normal 5/8-inch water meter and based on OWASA s rates as of October, 2006. A homeowner s private work items Installing a service lateral from the home to OWASA s sewer If needed, changes to plumbing under the house to connect it to the service lateral Taking the old septic system out of service. The homeowner would decide when to do the above three items, assuming the septic system meets health code requirements to remain in use. Under current policies, there is no requirement by OWASA to connect to a public sewer if a septic system is working properly. The costs of doing these items, which are arranged by the property owner, depend on the amount of work to be done, the contractor selected and so forth.
Steps for Requesting Sewer Extension 1. eighborhood representatives acquire an assessment petition form from OWASA Engineering Department (919-537-4218, OWASA Administration Building, 400 Jones Ferry Road, Carrboro C 27510). 2. When the owners of a majority or more of the lots in the area sign the petition, it can be submitted to the OWASA Engineering Department. 3. After OWASA staff reviews the petition and determines whether a majority of the lots current owners, including co-owners, have signed it, staff would make a report to the OWASA Board of Directors on the petition. 4. The OWASA Board would decide whether to call a public hearing in accord with C law on whether to undertake the assessment project. otices of the public hearing would be mailed to owners as listed in County land records. 5. After the public hearing, the Board would decide (through action on a resolution) whether and when to proceed with the project in light of funding, etc. 6. If there is a decision to proceed, design work, easement acquisition, bidding, contracting and related steps would lead to construction. 7. When the project is complete, OWASA staff would tabulate the project costs and propose a preliminary assessment roll that would be the subject of a public hearing with prior notices to property owners. The assessments would be calculated in accord with OWASA s assessment policies in effect at the time. Under current OWASA policy OWASA assesses for all project costs except any local government subsidy and, subject to limits as noted in our attached policy, engineering and legal expenses. ormally, property owners petition for assessments on a per lot basis as allowed under State law and OWASA policy. See http://tinyurl.yheu7b for additional information on OWASA s sewer assessment policy. Additionally, please note: Assistance from the local government jurisdiction with sewer costs would depend on the local government s policies and available funding. Assessments, when levied, are a lien on the property. Property owners normally have the option of paying assessments over 10 years with interest, or paying the assessment in full within 30 days of the assessment levy to avoid interest costs. Orange Water and Sewer Authority December 2006