NORTH WEBSTER - A contingent of lake residents of the Barbee chain crowded into a tiny real estate office Tuesday to debate a proposed sewer installation. The project, being planned by the Barbee Lakes Conservancy District with an estimated $18.4 million price tag, would encompass the entire chain of seven lakes.

Most citizens present Tuesday were opposed to the project, which is being proposed, according to conservancy president Jack Maule, to ensure the safety of ground water.

The conservancy is submitting a facilities plan to the Indiana Department of Environmental management within the next few days. Conservancy attorney Dick Green told the residents they could write letters of opposition and have them included with the plan, or sent directly to IDEM before the end of the week.

Opponents of the project argue that no ground water studies have been done to support the need for a chainwide sewer system. In addition, some of those who have perfectly functional septic systems don't want to pay the additional estimated $61 monthly fee to pay for the project and the substantial tap-in fee.

"You are going to take my life savings," said Joan Willard of South Barbee. "I am retired and widowed and thought after all those years of work that I could finally rest."

The conservancy's plan calls for a substantial down payment on the $18.4 million cost, which would be paid by an initial fee charged to each homeowner, or "discharging unit."

Remonstrators also contended that a petition for the creation of a sewer conservancy, signed by at least 15 percent of the lake chain's residents, was presented under misleading pretenses.

Several of the protesters said they signed the petition calling for a conservancy because they were told it was to serve as a block against Warsaw or Kosciusko County from coming in and regulating the lakes area.

The conservancy, through Green, denied any misdirection in the petitioning process.

Proponents of the sewer say the new system is an investment in the future - an investment that will only become more expensive the longer it's delayed.

"I see no benefit in delaying getting (to the design phase)," said Green.

"For anybody to sit here and fail to recognize that the Barbee chain has a great number of residences that meet the negative criteria, I fail to see why," Green said.

"I know that in a lot of the Barbee Lakes, some of the septic systems are nothing more than 55-gallon drums," said conservancy member Lowell Gilmore. "There are many systems that are fine, but there are many others that are not fine. They are high-risk areas."

"When you have a diseased arm, you cut off the arm of the diseased person, not the arms of everybody else," an upset resident said.

Some estimates have the per-household cost at $13,000 to $15,000. The conservancy is investigating 30-year financing, as well as all options involving state and federal grants.

Sewer advocates say their number one priority is the quality of tap water.

"The first thing I thought about when they talked about forming the conservancy was my grandchildren," said Joyce Maule, "that they would have safe water to drink and would be able to enjoy the lakes."

Willard responded to Maule's comments.

"I'm concerned too, that I will leave this huge deficit for them to have to pay off." [[In-content Ad]]