Lakeland Sewer Board Explores Alternative Electricity Plan
Posted
Jordan Fouts-
NORTH WEBSTER – The potential to save $2 million in project costs has the Lakeland Regional Sewer District Board seriously considering other options for system electricity. The board agreed Monday to look further into the idea of requiring property owners in the district to hook up their own electricity to power the grinder pumps that will be placed on their property. Users could expect an extra 95 cents on their monthly bills under that plan, the board heard, compared to more than $4 a month under the original plan. The total monthly savings on users’ bills could approach $8. The original plan called for a $2 million cost for the district to install electrical service drops and a premium to an energy provider of about $80,000 while only using about $17,000 worth of power – the extra $63,000 would essentially be wasted money, board President Jim Haney remarked. “If we don’t go this route, we will be paying the utility company a 60-grand-a-year premium for nothing,” he said. Board member Bob Sanders observed that users might enjoy more control over their electric costs under the alternative plan. But the original plan has the advantage of the district owning the electric lines and could keep scheduling of the project tighter, the board heard. The alternative, introduced last month, would mean an installation cost of about $552,000. The hookup cost per home would range from $350 to $800, depending on what upgrades are needed first. The board discussed rebating hookup or upgrade costs for property owners, or finding some other grant or allowance for the cost. In considering the alternative, the district will need to determine how many homes have the capacity for the electric hookup – more than half and the idea is unfeasible, the board heard. There also may be public perception problems, Haney observed. “We always said it was sewer. We never talked about electrical lines,” he said last month.
