Thursday, March 28th, 2024
Home | Site Map

Frequently Asked Questions

What costs will be the responsibility of the homeowner?  $3000 tapping fee, contractor of choice to connect home plumbing & electrical, pump out on-lot tank & fill with suitable material.  If the lateral from main line to grinder pump exceeds 50 ft., the homeowner will be charged $24 per foot beyond the 50 ft allowence.

Work provided by the Authority's contractor?  Installation of the grinder pump/alarm tank, the electrical panel & the discharge lateral from the grinder pump to the main collection line.

Where will the grinder pump tank be located?  The homeowner may have input into the location of the grinder pump/alarm tank on their property. 

What is the expected monthly cost? At this point, the target monthly rate is estimated to be $87 monthly. 

Will the homeowner choose the contractor to trench from the GP to the house?  Yes, but there will be an application and inspection process for this work.

Will the homeowner have the choice of electrician?  Yes. Homeowner may choose his electrician of choice but, the work must be inspected.

What is the various pipe sizes? House to GP, usually is 4", GP to collection, 1.5", collection line hasn't been sized yet but, expected to be 2"-4".

Is "earth pipe" acceptable? No.  It must be removed and replaced with 4" PVC

What happens with the old septic tanks? DEP requires every homeowner to pump out & fill with a modified material of gravel & stone.  Cess pools will have the same requirement.

How does the GP work when the house is lower than the road? The GP has the power to move the material to the collection line.

Can the GP lid be driven on? No. 

What voltage is needed? 220, GP is 2HP/15 amp.

GP noise level? Fairly quiet since it is 7ft deep underground.

What depth does the building pipe go into the GP?  40" below the top of GP.

What is the time frame for the project? This has changed over the last year.  Expected operation of the WWTP is Spring, 2022. Connections begin once the WWTP is fully operational.

How will a multi-unit be charged? A larger grinder pump required but, individual units will be charged the monthly fee.

In the case of 2 homes on a lot, will 1 grinder pump be sufficient? According to the Rules & Regulations 1 grinder pump can serve 2 homes on the same parcel but, will be charged 2 EDUs. Please refer to Rules & Regulations for other user situations.

Are there any restrictions as to where the grinder pump is on homeowner's property? We will give the property owner a stake or flag to mark where the desired placement to install the grinder pump.  If the distance from the edge of the street to the marked location is greater than 50 feet, then the property owner will be requested to pay $24/ft for the cost of the extra length of service.

Has the specifications or brand of grinder pump been chosen at this time? Yes,the Little Giant, manufactured by Franklin Electric meets our specifications.

What is the discharge pipe size? Pump discharge size will be 1.5" inside diameter, material HDPE.  Size & building material from house to pump will be 4" PVC SDR-35.  If the homeowner constructs a new building sewer out to his drainfield, the grinder pump coud be installed at a later time by cutting into the pipe.

What is the basin size, buriel depth, inlet depth, etc? 2' X 7' diameter will be the standard grinder pump.  Basin depth is 7ft, although the building sewer does not need to be that deep, only frost depth, about 3.5 to 4' deep.  In the case the homeowner has a basement that requires sewer service, the basin can be ordered with extra depth and installed deeper.

In the event of a power outage, how long will toilets be usable before there is a problem? The above question gives the size of the tank that holds water.  The tank will hold up to 200-220 gallons of water and an average toilet consumes 1.5-2 gallons per flush. Manually filling the toilet tank, the tank capacity will allow for several days of a power outage. Household size is also a factor.  The wastewater treatment plant will have a backup generator system.

Can a sink food disposal & dishwasher run through the grinder pump? Yes, a kitchen sink disposal, dishwasher, household toilets & sinks will run through the grinder pump.  NO GREASE & OIL OF ANY KIND SHOULD BE PUT IN THE DRAIN.  There will be a list of prohibited items as we get closer to operation.  Garage floor drains will also be prohibited. Please refer to the Rules & Regulations.

Financial assistance available for those who qualify: 

Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants (USDA)

What does this program do?

Also known as the Section 504 Home Repair program, this provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve,

or modernize their homes or provides grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards.

Who may apply for this program?

To qualify, you must:

• Be the homeowner and occupy the house

• Be unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere

• Have a family income below 50 percent of the area median income

For grants, be age 62 or older and not be able to repay a repair loan

What is an eligible area?

Generally, rural areas with a population less than 35,000 are

eligible. Applicants may check the address of their home to

determine eligibility online.

How may funds be used?

• Loans may be used to repair, improve, or modernize

homes or to remove health and safety hazards. (Sewer tapping fees and hook up expenses qualify)

• Grants must be used to remove health and safety hazards.

How much money can I get?

• Maximum loan is $20,000.

• Maximum grant is $7,500.

• Loans and grants can be combined for up to

$27,500 in assistance.

What are the terms of the loan or grant?

• Loans can be repaid over 20 years

• Loan interest rate is fixed at 1%.

• Full title service is required for loans of $7,500 or more

• Grants have a lifetime limit of $7,500.

• Grants must be repaid if the property is sold in less than 3 years

• If applicants can repay part, but not all of the costs,

applicants may be offered a loan and grant combination

Is there a deadline to apply?

Applications are available year round as long as funding is

available, and are processed in the order they are received.

How long does an application take?

Approval times depend on funding availability in your

area. Talk to a USDA home loan specialist in your area for

help with the application.

How do I get started?

Contact a USDA home loan specialist in your area.

Wyoming County Income Limits

1-4 person $35,850

5-8 person $47,350

Amy L. Wiggans

Acting Area Specialist / Technician

Wyoming County RD Office

United States Department of Agriculture

Phone – 570-836-5111 Ext. 120 | Fax - 855-847-3598

www.rd.usda.gov/pa “Committed to the future of rural communities”

 

HUD will be another source of low interest loans and grants.

 

Please note: These answers are subject to change as the project is designed. As I become aware of any changes to the above questions, the answers will be promptly updated.