Homeowners in parts of Marshall County will apparently be keeping their septic systems. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has ordered the Marshall County Regional Sewer District to be dissolved, saying the project isn’t “economically feasible, fair, or reasonable.”
The district was established to expand sewer service further into the county. But residents and elected officials voiced concern about the cost to homeowners. Initial estimates put the potential monthly bill below $100, but other estimates suggested it could be more than $200.
After the county council and commissioners called on IDEM to dissolve the district, IDEM asked its leaders to provide an updated operating plan to address their concerns. IDEM argued that the sewer district changed its financing source, shrunk the project area and significantly delayed the project, without noting the changes in its plan. IDEM also said the purpose of the project appeared to have changed from reducing pollution to helping homeowners whose lots were too small to qualify for permits to replace aging septic systems.
But the district’s attorneys denied that there were significant changes, and said a revised plan wasn’t needed. They said part of the point of forming a sewer district was to take political bodies like the council and commissioners out of its operations.
In its resolution back in August, the Marshall County Council offered to repay the sewer district’s $3.1 million bond anticipation note, in exchange for the district’s assets.
