(11/15) Facing $17.5 million in sewer
repairs and upgrades, the Thurmont Town
Commissioners committed to the State of
Maryland to purse the equalization basin
project first.
As part of the process of negotiating and
updating the consent agreement the town has
with the Maryland Department of the
Environment, the commissioners needed to lay
out what their next step would be in the
repair and upgrade of the town’s sewer system
would be.
The town had three options it could have
pursued:
- Rehabilitate the existing sewer lines for
$4.6 million.
- Construct an equalization basin better
manage high storm water flows for $5.5
million.
- Expand the existing wastewater treatment
plant by 33 percent for $7.4 million.
With a total cost of $17.5 million, the town
cannot afford to pursue all three options at
the same time.
Mayor Martin Burns said, “The best bang for
our buck is an equalization basin.” The design
phase of the project can begin this month and
be completed August 2008. Final completion of
the project would be expected around May 2010
with the basin being in operation by October
2010.
Burns also noted that rehabilitating the
sewer lines for $4.6 million was no guarantee
of a fix, if, for instance, the problem is
with the privately-owned sewer laterals. On
the other hand, Burns said and equalization
basin would act as a “significant Band-Aid” to
stop sewer back ups and allow the town the
time to purse the other two options without
worrying about another lawsuit.
“If we can’t stop lawsuits were toast,”
Burns said. “We have to stop lawsuits
otherwise we’ll all be moving out of town.”
While the commissioners were concerned with
the costs involved, Commissioner Robert
Lookingbill said, “This is something that has
to happen. There’s no putting it off for a
couple years. Maryland Department of the
Environment is putting the press on us to get
it done.”
Burns also reminded the commissioners that
MDE officials have said that the cost of a
project is not an excuse for not getting it
done. While he might have suggested a
different course of action if the town hadn’t
been facing litigation, he said currently the
equalization basin is “the best, most
economical, quickest fix.”
Lookingbill agreed, saying that residents
“have to understand we’re trying to fix the
problem here and lawsuits aren’t helping us.”
Commissioner Glenn Muth wanted to include
in the agreement that the town was considering
terminating sewer service to entities outside
of the town limits. This would include
Cunningham Falls State Park, Catoctin Mountain
Park, Catoctin High School and private
residents. Burns said he had no trouble if the
town wrote a letter to that effect but it
didn’t belong in the consent agreement. Burns
said it would be “poking your stick in the eye
of a state agency that has a hammer that could
hammer this town in a significant way.”
Commissioner Wayne Hooper noted, “They [MDE]
know we’re considering it because we already
met with them. They just need to be reminded
of it frequently.”
The vote to add the termination language
failed and the commissioners voted unanimously
to list the equalization basin as the project
they would pursue. If the opportunity arises,
the town will pursue the other projects.
