I am urging everyone to vote against the Lost Lake Sewer Articles 5, 6, 7 at the Groton Fall Town Meeting, Oct. 15, 2012. I attended the Lost Lake Sewer Committee meeting on Sept. 13, 2012 and I was quite upset with the proposed costs to homeowners and potential damage to their lots. (I urge everyone to read this presentation, located within the Town of Groton website.)
1. This presentation showed that Lost Lake has had water pollution problems since the 1960’s! Why has the Board of Health/ Groton continually allowed Lost Lake to degrade? By doing nothing for over 50 years Lost Lake is certainly polluted. Why weren’t the homes that were directly polluting classified as unsuitable for living until such time that their wastewater was properly disposed of? Why weren’t motorized vehicles prohibited from using Lost Lake?
2. The proposed Lost Lake sewer costs to homeowners are as follows:
- Betterment fee: $20,000 (Payable by every abutter whether or not you connect)
- Connection costs: $5,000- $11,000
- Annual user fees: $ 550 – $700 (Private well owners should be allowed to charge the Town for well water usage as the homeowners are responsible for maintaining their private wells, not the Town.)
- Grinder Pump: Motor has a 10 yr. life and currently costs $3000 to replace.
- Private well impact: Unknown
3. Groton currently has a very high tax rate which most likely will continue to increase. Homeowners will be responsible for all sewer fees/costs as noted in (2) above, as well as other potential costs associated with a proposed fire station and bridge repair. We are currently living in a very poor economy with no end in sight (somewhat equivalent to the Great Depression). There are alternatives to a costly sewer for Lost Lake. Prohibit homeowners that directly empty wastewater into Lost Lake from living in their homes until the waste water disposal problem is rectified. Prohibit all motorized vehicles from using Lost Lake. Remove weeds from Lost Lake. Continually ensure that all septic systems in the Lost Lake area, as well as all of Groton, are in compliance with Title V. Continually ensure that all septic systems in the Lost Lake area, as well as all of Groton, are properly maintained.
If these alternative solutions are accomplished, Lost Lake could probably be pollutant free quickly and at a cost significantly less than a proposed $13 million sewer.
Please attend the Groton Fall Town Meeting on Monday, Oct. 15, 2012 and vote AGAINST Articles 5, 6, 7 relating to the Lost Lake proposed sewer. I certainly will.
Thank you,
Carol Daigle
The most ridiculous part of this whole fiasco is that the most recent water tests prove that the whole project is unnecessary, yet the town is plowing forward with it. It’s also been proven that simply stopping all the organoc and non organic fertilizer runoff that enters the lake from Martins Pond Brook would have a much larger impact in lowering the phosphorous and nitrogen levels in the lake than this project would. But, hey, let’s bankrupt the poorest people in Groton, they’re only lake dwellers anyhow. Unbelievable.