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Opinion: Editorial

A needed improvement

Sunday, May 18, 2008 7:47 PM EDT

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The decision by Maysville Utility Commission to require property owners to comply with EPA orders to separate sanitary and storm sewers was the right choice.

Under the mandate, residents in the city must replace downspouts that currently carry storm run-off into sanitary sewers and redirect the run-off into the city's storm sewer system.

There is sound reasoning behind the mandate. When storm water enters the sanitary sewer, the sheer volume often overwhelms the system, compromising its ability to do what it was designed to do. In at least one local community, the problem was so severe that during heavy rainfall, the city's sewer system overflowed, pouring sewage into the Ohio River. In order to avoid that scenario, the city has instructed property owners to make corrections.

While it is easy enough to blame the utility commission or the city for poor planning, it is unrealistic, considering that most of the storm sewer system is decades old and installed before future growth was even a consideration.

So we support efforts to make the mandated changes. Having said that, we would also urge the commission to devise a plan that will help cash-strapped property owners, especially those who reside in the affected properties, pay for the needed repairs.

Estimates are that it will cost the typical homeowner about $100 to come into compliance. For other property owners, the costs may be considerably more. The average price tag may not seem like much to some of us but to others, it may seem like a fortune. A fortune they will be hard pressed to come up with as the price of food and gasoline continues to climb.

Working to improve our infrastructure is and should be a priority for Maysville, We would hope that helping citizens help the city reach that goal would be another.

Reader Comments

Comments are limited to 200 words or less.

Wondering wrote on May 20, 2008 11:58 AM:

" The ordinance was adopted back in 1991. If it was such a good idea, why did it take 18 years for it to be enforced. The least council could have done then was to require any home sold to have the downspouts and basement drains inspected. If the dounspouts and drains were found to be connected to the sewer then the buyer and seller could work together and have the problem corrected. Now, with prices and the economy so high, some home owners will be forced to sell. However, it will be very hard to find buyers because of the downspout/drain issues. The argument that this was poor planning on the council's part is not unrealistic. The council should have know that putting off enforcement for 18 years was bound to have detrimental effects on Maysville homeowners. They waited until the EPA started to vigorously enforce the regulation to make a move. I definitely believe the council's unwillingness to act then warrants them coming up with a plan to help affected homeowners now. "

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