Livingston, Genesee getting total of $225K in State Septic System Replacement Program grants | Top Story

GENESEO / BATAVIA – Livingston County has a total of $ 75,000 in grants to repair sewage treatment plants, while Genesee County has approximately $ 150,000 to repair septic tanks.

The grant funding from the state program to replace the septic system is intended to protect so-called “priority waters”. Lake Conesus is one of them because Lake Conesus is a source of drinking water for more than 20,000 people in the county.

“The idea is to fix faulty wastewater treatment plants around these priority bodies of water,” said Mark Grove, director of environmental health.

While there may not be many septic tanks directly connected to the lake, according to Grove, there are fumes that pour into the lake that could use water from damaged septic tanks.

“We have streams that feed Lake Conesus where septic tanks could be located near those streams. We don’t know how old these pipes are, but when a sewer system goes down frequently, the sewage breaks out of the ground and you know you have a problem, ”said Grove.

The money to repair the systems is part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s nationwide effort. He announced $ 15 million in funding through the Homeowner Assistance Program. The grants are the second round of $ 75 million in total to help improve water quality and protect public health through the targeted replacement of aging and substandard sewer systems and the removal of cesspools in communities across the state.

In Livingston County, improving the water quality in Conesus Lake is more important than ever, according to Grove.

“We know from various studies that Lake Conesus has a high level of phosphorus. It could be that faulty septic tanks are adding phosphorus to the lake and that is one of the main pollutants, ”he said.

However, he admits that it was a little difficult to get residents to participate in the program.

“We have tried to promote this program for the past three years. We sent 300 letters and only received half a dozen replies, ”said Grove.

Grove admits he’s not sure why people aren’t participating in the program.

“So far, we’ve coordinated reimbursements to various homeowners valued at around $ 30,000. We don’t see many applications coming back. I think we had a request in that last ad. Maybe there just aren’t a lot of faulty septic tanks, or maybe people don’t want to get in touch for various reasons, ”he said.

The cost of the reimbursement cannot exceed $ 10,000 and eligible persons will be reimbursed 50% of the cost.

GENESEE COUNTY’S GRANT covers the five years from 2018 to 2023 to help eligible septic tank or sewage treatment plant owners in certain parts of the county replace their systems.

“There is a form that individuals would have to fill out to apply for the program. Those interested can contact any public health plumbing to see if they would qualify for the program, ”said Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Orleans County Health Advisor / Information Officer.

Participating counties will use the money to reimburse an owner for up to 50 percent of the cost (up to a maximum of $ 10,000) of an eligible sewer system project, including:

n Replacement of a cesspool with a sewage treatment plant;

n Installation, replacement or upgrading of a sewer system or sewer system components; or

n Installation of improved treatment technologies, including an advanced nitrogen removal system.

Thomas Sacco, director of the Genesee County’s Department of Health responsible for this program, can call (585) 344-2580, ext. 5496, or email [email protected].

“If they are approved for the program, a letter of approval will be sent to the person,” Goodrich-Kresse said. “Once the system is in place, there is a refund application form that must be completed in order to be refunded.”

When asked how much the county has used this funding program in the past and how much difference it has made, Goodrich-Kresse said that $ 86,533 has been paid out to date for repairs to systems.

The state said the following waters in Genesee County are priorities for program funding:

n Tonawanda Creek, center, main trunk;

n Bowen Brook and tributaries;

n Bigelow Creek and tributaries;

n Oatka Creek, medium and minor tributaries.

“The DEC state has set the criteria for which bodies of water are earmarked for funding,” said Goodrich-Kresse. “This program is not intended for new wastewater treatment plants, only for systems that fail – only residential properties and no commercial properties.”

In terms of public health effects, she said, the Genesee County Health Department doesn’t do tests on these waters, but the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) could.

(Daily News Staff writer Brian Quinn contributed to this article.)