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Failing septic systems get federal funding
(by Sali McSherry - December 09, 2009)
Failing septic systems get federal funding
By SALI McSHERRY
Moreland Hills mayor's assistant Dina Lelonis has been credited with helping to secure federal funding to replace six village residents' failing septic systems.
Mayor Susan C. Renda praised Ms. Lelonis' efforts last week in securing $64,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants for qualifying residents.
Earlier this fall, Ms. Lelonis applied for and received a $30,000 grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, which was administering the funds for its home sewage-treatment system program.
Ms. Lelonis worked with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and Dominion East Ohio Energy to identify potential participants for the program. She sent letters to residents that might qualify for the program, and several of them responded.
She took the ball and ran with it, Ms. Renda said, spending time filling out and going over the paperwork with residents. She spent a lot of her time to successfully complete the process, the mayor said.
Ms. Lelonis said she's glad her work made a difference to the residents who participated. "It felt really good to be able to help," she said.
The State of Ohio made available $5 million out of $220 million that was allotted through the federal stimulus money, according to the Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance. Each community in the county had an opportunity to apply for the grants.
Communities that participated in the first round and used all the money allotted to them were able to participate in round two, Ms. Lelonis said. Moreland Hills was one of only seven communities in the state to qualify for the second round of grants in which the village received an additional $34,000.
There are about 1,500 septic systems in Moreland Hills, and about 150 of them are failing, Mrs. Renda said.
In order to receive 75 percent of the cost of replacing a resident's system, it had to be identified as being in failure and over 30 years old. Also, to be eligible, the community had to determine that the residents' streets would not have sewers within the next 10 years. To qualify, residents had to demonstrate that their household income did not exceed 200 percent of U.S. poverty guidelines. Residents were required to pay 25 percent of the total cost.
Other requirements included using American-made products for replacing the systems, Ms. Lelonis said. In addition, companies installing the systems had to pay their employees an amount based on the daily prevailing wage.
Two septic systems were replaced on Jackson Road and two on Hiram Trail, Ms. Lelonis said, which turned out to be an bonus for the environment on those particular streets. A system on Chagrin Boulevard and one on Berkeley Road also were replaced.
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