Programs set to help hook up to new sewer

SILVER SPRINGS - A subsidy grant program for Silver Springs sewer participants is beingcompleted to help residents pay for hooking up to the new sewer system.

The program currently has a $420,000 grant committed from USDA, Rural Development, and is hoping to receive and additional $357,000 from the Community Development Block Grant fund.

The latter grant is to be awarded in mid-May.

After total funds are committed, a program will be in place to assist in the abandonment of septic tanks and to run lines to hook up to the sewer main currently being installed.

The $357,000 grant will be restricted to low- and very-low income families. The $420,000 will be available to other residents in the general improvement district.

The general improvement district estimates that the entire subsidy program will be in place and available to residents by Sept. 1.

An assistance manual is available to help homeowners with septic tank abandonment and sewer line hook-ups. This manual will guide homeowners through the process, from obtaining permits to understanding the Uniform Plumbing Code which governs this type of project.

Permit applications will be included in this manual as well as a list of licensed contractors who have expressed interest in performing the work. Schematic drawings of scenarios will also be included.

In December after the plant is up and running the district will begin issuing permits and making inspections. Meanwhile, the public can obtain a permit and run a dry sewer line in advance by obtaining a permit at the Lyon County Building Department. The district will honor permits issued by the building department and any fees that have been paid.

The Silver Springs Sewer Participant Assistance Manual is expected to be finished and available to homeowners at the GID office by mid-May.

Meanwhile, the first line extension of the new sewer is set to take place this summer. This extension is separate from the original project and will be paid for completely by the entities that it will serve. These include Silver Springs Elementary School, Silver Stage Middle School, the future Silver Springs High School, the Silver Springs Library, the newly opened Juvenile Center, the Lahontan Medical Center, the Lyon County Road Yard and Animal Control Center, and ERGS, Inc.

ERGS, Inc. owns a section of property that the line extension has to cross to make the sewer available to the schools. ERGS, Inc. will be solely responsible for the costs of the extension through its property. The other entities will be subsidized $300,000 by a grant from USDA, Rural Development.

This line extension is being made possible to service the area by a separate contract. The extension is not a part of the original district. This area should be on line concurrently with the rest of the district.