Town of Bath looking to lower septic costs
'At minimum, we're looking to save homeowners half the cost.' - Fred Muller Bath town supervisor
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

BATH - Rural homeowners who need to replace existing septic systems or install new ones are facing steeply rising costs due to a crackdown by the state Department of Health.

But Bath town officials think they may be able to cut those costs at least in half through a waiver system approved by DOH.

The system would permit the municipality to purchase professionally engineered plans for a variety of septic systems, then make those plans available for property owners.

"At minimum, we're looking to save homeowners half the cost," town Supervisor Fred Muller said Tuesday during the board's regular monthly meeting.

Without the town's intervention, homeowners would face engineering costs ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 for the design of a new septic system, according to Code Enforcement Officer Al Buckland.

The rising costs stem from a DOH requirement that new septic systems be designed and certified by a professional engineer. Until the beginning of the year, some codes enforcement officers like Buckland had been permitted to certify new septic systems themselves, at a lower cost to the property owner.

According to Muller, the DOH will also authorize a waiver system under which, for an initial fee, a municipality could purchase standard engineered designs, then keep the designs on file for homeowners' use.

Board members are to study proposals from three engineering firms in preparation for their regular March meeting. The proposals will specify the initial cost to the town of engineered septic systems, plus the homeowner's share of the expense.

The town's participation may come with an additional cost through potential liability in the event of a septic system failure, Mul ler warned.

"If you do the final inspection," he told Buckland, "I'm still concerned about what liability the town has."