Costly discovery spurs sewer work scale back

Sewer work at Cooks Corner came to a halt recently when it was discovered that a septic drain field is under the parking lot of Eddie’s Auto Sales and Service and in the path of a planned sewer line.

Faced with a $742,000 construction change order, the Middlesex County Board of Supervisors voted last week to eliminate a wastewater collection line that would have gone in front of Eddie’s, the 7-Eleven convenience store next door and C&F Bank. As a result, the costs to the county will go down by about $350,000.

None of the three businesses have shown interest in hooking to the wastewater collection system, Middlesex County Administrator Matt Walker pointed out at the board’s June 16 work session. Each business has a drain field with conventional on-site wastewater disposal.

Voluntary connection

The rejection of sewer by three Cooks Corner businesses could indicate how things will play out when sewer lines are run elsewhere. It is unknown how many Middlesex residences or businesses will voluntarily connect to sewer service.

Connecting to sewer is optional, since Middlesex does not have a mandatory connection requirement — at this time. Another factor, connecting to sewer service requires being on a metered water system because water usage is measured when the water enters the location.