Councillors agree on solution to 15-year-old problem

A problem of more than 15 years has finally been resolved.

NOTL town councillors have finally settled on the town’s responsibility toward residents with grinder pumps, and have agreed to a set of recommendations that include a limited amount of financial aid, in the form of an insurance rebate, to those who require the pumps as part of their sanitary sewers.

It was 2004 when St. Davids residents had grinder pumps dropped off in their driveways as part of the new low-pressure sanitary sewer installation in the village, and were left with the responsibility for installing and maintaining them.

There are now about 180 homes in the village requiring grinder pumps as part of the town’s sewer system, 90 that were connected as part of the installation of the system, and the others in newer subdivisions built since then.

Through each election since then, and with each new council, St. Davids residents with grinder pumps have asked for assistance with what has become a costly burden to some, through no fault of their own.

Grinder pumps reduce solid matter in a large tank in basements before pumping it uphill to the sewer system, where it then travels to a substation, and on to the regional wastewater treatment plant in Niagara Falls. They are required in homes that have sewage that needs to be pumped up to the level of the sewer system.

A committee was formed by the current council in December 2018, in response to serious issues being encountered by current residential owners of grinder pumps in NOTL — and those issues “continue to be encountered,” committee member Angelo Miniaci told councillors Monday. They include pumps not working properly and needing to be replaced, sometimes several times, often because they were not installed properly.

An amendment to the staff report requested by the committee called for the continuation of a $75 annual insurance rebate program, originally established to help homeowners who had no choice but to have grinder pumps in their homes as part of the new sewer system. The amendment approved by councillors Monday means the town will continue to include a budget of $7,000 for the program, which will be extended for a three-year period, and then reviewed at that time, with some conditions attached.

“The recommendation provides what is really a small, but hard, tangible form of assistance which takes into consideration current economic conditions,” said Miniaci. “It is a reasonable and affordable option offering assistance to current residential owners of grinder pumps in NOTL.” 

He told councillors grinder pumps are “tightly integrated with the municipal sewer mains, and provide the energy required to make the system work. There is a reason that low pressure systems are called systems. Without the pumps, sewage would simply not move.” 

Committee member Dave Snelgrove also spoke to councillors, about their goal to offer assistance to residents who own grinder pumps, and have to pay the same sewage rates, for electricity to run the pumps, and for repairs, replacements and insurance. “Not only are they burdened with a system that they must power, monitor and maintain, but when their pump breaks down they must seek alternate accommodation until the issue is resolved.”

The amendment a recommendation in the report from staff to councillors was approved Monday, along with other recommendations that include a regular maintenance program to be created by staff; a town inventory of emergency critical parts for grinder pumps to be made available to home owners; information to be shared with residents regarding care of grinder pumps; a robust program of inspection and installation approval; and an updated bylaw to reflect the actions to be taken by staff.

The only vote against the amendment to the recommendations was from Coun. Erwin Wiens, who said there are “a number of inequities” in the municipality when it comes to the cost of utilities, including for those who have to pay to have their septic tanks emptied, or others who have oil trucked in — not all taxpayers share those costs.

Other councillors supported the recommendations, glad to be able to help out those who have no choice but to depend on grinder pumps.

Coun. Wendy Cheropita spoke of knocking on doors in St. Davids during the last election campaign, and hearing “awful, horrible situations I’ll never forget,” including sewage “going everywhere, indoors and out.” 

She said she’s proud of the committee and the work it’s done, and feels the amendment says to the residents, “‘we hear you, we’re listening, and what happened to you along the way was not right.”

The committee was thanked for its work and the hundreds of hours members have put in as they learned about grinder pumps, and was disbanded.

“I think this is a real success story for the town,” said Lord Mayor Betty Disero. “It took a while, but we did it this term. Congratulations on finishing unfinished business.”