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User fees could increase under sanitary district plan

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EDGERTON — You wouldn't go more than 35 years without replacing most of the appliances in your house.

The same concept applies to sewage systems, said Jerry Miles, superintendent of the Consolidated Koshkonong Sanitary District.

The district has applied for a state loan to replace much of the equipment in 18 of its 22 pumping stations. The Department of Natural Resources is accepting comments about the proposal through Friday, June 19.

The district covers 2,100 households in parts of Fulton, Milton, Albion and Sumner townships. Its stations are 37 years old, with the exception of four stations in Indianford that are five or six years old, Miles said.

"All of our equipment in our stations is original equipment," he said. "We can't get parts for stuff."

The district will start taking bids on the project in July and estimates it will cost $4.2 million. A Wisconsin Clean Water Fund loan would cover the entire project if the district qualifies, and the district also will try to get stimulus money, Miles said.

The district would pay the loan back through increased user fees, property taxes or both. If it uses only user fees, the average residential fee would increase from $67.60 per quarter to $84.80 per quarter, according to a DNR news release.

Rehabilitation will improve reliability and performance by ensuring standby generators are available in emergencies and providing improved control and monitoring, the release says. It also will ensure protection of lagoon structures when the water is high.

The project probably will be completed in 2010, Miles said. It should not interrupt anyone's wastewater service.

The DNR does not expect adverse environmental impact from the project, the news release says.