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PW CASE <br /> <br />CONSIDER POLICY REGARDING SEWER & WATER HOOK-UP <br /> By: Steve Jankowski, City Engineer <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />Last fall Oak Terrace Estates Mobile Home Park presented a petition requesting a <br />feasibility study for the extension of sewer and water to this development. The feasibility <br />study has been drafted and is nearly complete. In discussing the preliminary results of <br />the study with a representative of the mobile home park, it likely that they will request <br />extending only sanitary sewer, since their existing water supply is performing well. On <br />the other hand, their on-site sanitary disposal system does not meet current design <br />standards and requires frequent pumping. <br /> <br />The purpose of this case is to entertain a general discussion relating to the conditions <br />under which the City will allow the connection of existing developed parcels to the City <br />water and sanitary sewer utility. Specifically the question which needs to be addressed <br />is: If sewer and water are both available, shall the City require connection to both <br />utilities? <br /> <br />In the past, with a few exceptions, it has been the City's general policy to require <br />connection to both City sewer and water. There are several reasons for this policy. First, <br />there is the great likelihood that a property which receives one utility will eventually <br />receive the second at some point in the future. Allowing connection to a single utility <br />only delays what experience has shown is inevitable, that sooner or later the property will <br />be connected to both utilities. <br /> <br />Secondly, requiring connection to both utilities creates more users for the utility. This <br />tends to reduce the operating costs for all customers since the incremental revenues tend <br />to exceed costs to the utility. <br /> <br />Finally, municipal sewer and water systems receive more operational oversight and <br />greater regulatory scrutiny than individual private systems. Thus, there is an increased <br />public health benefit to consumers who are connected to a public sanitary facility. <br /> <br />Recommendation: <br /> <br />It is Staff recommendation the City reaffirm its policy requiring that all City sanitary <br />extensions include connection to both sanitary sewer and water utilities. <br /> <br /> <br />