To help homeowners owner combat flooding, city councilors are eyeing a plan to cover $500 toward the purchase of backflow preventers designed to keep overloaded sewer pipes from coughing water into basements.
“It’s an approach that can help an awful lot of people,” Mayor William Stortz said.
Retrofitting older houses with the device would make it much more difficult for sewers straining to cope with heavy loads during major storms to flow backwards into basements that lack protection.
City Councilor Craig Minor, who proposed the policy, said that other communities have found that helping people buy the backflow preventers has helped reduce flooding woes.
Councilors endorsed the concept recently, but said they’ll need to work out the particulars later, including how much to pay and the overall allocation that the program would require.
“I don’t think $500 is enough,” said city Councilor Mike Rimcoski. He said that backflow preventers typically cost $2,000 or more.
He said that the Bristol Development Authority has helped some residents pay up to half the cost of the devices in some cases.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka said that houses built since about 1980 have been required to have backflow preventers.
The program would target older houses, perhaps within a particular section of the city to begin with, officials said.
“It’s a positive step forward,” said city Councilor Frank Nicastro, a former mayor. He said it has worked well elsewhere.
Nicastro said that Minor is “on the right track by starting this. Smart move.”
Minor said the key is to make sure the city can create the program in such a way that it doesn’t admit liability for any flooding-related financial hardships. He said the city doesn’t want to land on the hook for flooding cleanup costs.
Stortz said officials will also have to make sure the city doesn’t find itself liable if people who don’t succeed in getting funding help wind up with costly sewer backups before they qualify.
Minor said he doesn’t know how much the program would cost taxpayers.
He said that perhaps the city should start by setting aside a certain amount of money and then allocating it until the money dries up.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
7 comments:
It looks like Minor is trying to buy votes in his district where the floods happen next the Pequobuck river.
I do not not live down by the Pequobuck River and disagree with anonymous poster at 1:33am.
Craig's suggestion is a prudent concept, and when the funding questions are discussed and worked out, can be a fiscally responsible answer to an issue facing the Citizens and all taxpayers throughout Bristol, not just in District 3.
This is a great start at dealing with the mitigation of flooding issues throughout our City.
I look forward to our City starting the discussion on fighting the floodwater issues.
Minor sees the writing on the wall.
Viva La Bob Merrick !
Would have to agree with Mr. Boudreau.I am SURE if the homeowners in question can utilize these backflow preventers to prevent much more costly repairs from flood damage,they won't be thinking Councilman Minor merely tried to impliment this solution for VOTES!
Get real, people.
I am not a fan of Craigs, but what he is suggesting is not directed at the waterways overflowing, BUT the fact that the city waste water treatment plant does not have the capacity to handle the volume when the rains seep into the waste water system.
People are affected that do not live anywhere near a waterway.
The city is addressing the leakeage and the volume problem, but this will be quicker in some cases, and provide additional assurance to possibly affected homeowners.
Sounds like some of you are getting your input from Ken Johnson.
Of couse Minor is worried about the Pequback he lives next to it.
Some people should get their head out of the sand. If a counciler or any one tries to come up with a different idea there is always a critic with nothing but politics on their mind. What's wrong with new ideas ? It wasn't yours ?
Post a Comment