Sewage Tie-in Time Extended at Norton Town Meeting

Norton held its Spring Town Meeting on Monday with little contention, with the exception of sewer connection.

Article 13, which was designed to raise the time a resident has to connect to a municipal sewer line from two years to five years, raised some contention from the sewer commission, according to town manager Michael Yunits.

“Two of the water sewer commissioners were there to speak in opposition from that,” he said. “They said its important to tie in once the sewerage goes by their properties to pay for the cost of that, and they wanted it postponed until they could do a study.

“Once that line goes by your house, under the current bylaw you have to tie in,” he added. “Selectmen proposed the article help lighten the burden on people right now when the economy is still tough. It’s $12,000 for the sewer tie in fee.”

Yunits said that is even if said residents have a functioning septic system, they are required to tie into the sewage system.

“I mean that’s always the argument,” he said. “People say they have a functioning septic system or worst still some people say I just put in a septic system two years ago and I spent $35,000 for that, and now you want me to pay $12,000  to in to the surge plus they have to hire their own contractor, which is $3,500 minimum.”

Yunits said extending the deadline to five years after the extension of a sewer line would help people to plan for those costs.

“They know they have at least five years to pay for that and they can start to put that money aside,” he said.