Not often does the topic of sewer service get people buzzing.

But ever since city utility leaders in September announced that they had concerns about the ability of the sewer system in northwest Lawrence to keep up with growth, the topic has been a hot one.

Developers and city commissioners alike have expressed concerns that sewer troubles could significantly slow the city’s construction industry, which generally is considered a prime economic engine. The issue, by all accounts, is complicated, so here’s a list of questions and answers to help bring people up to speed.

Q: What do city leaders mean when they say the northwest area?

A: For sewer planning purposes, the city considers the area to be bounded by Sixth Street on the south, the Kansas River on the east, a line just north of Interstate 70 on the north and a line just west of the South Lawrence Trafficway on the west. Many of the projects that are being delayed are west of the Kasold Drive and Peterson Road area.

Q: What does it mean that the city is concerned the area’s sewer system is at its capacity?

An estimated .6 million construction project to enlarge the wastewater pump station near Sixth and Kentucky streets may be undertaken in 2006 rather than 2007. Dave Wagner, the city's assistant utilities director, says the renovation would more than double the station's capacity.

A: The city is most concerned about the system during heavy rains. That’s because sewer pipes – through manholes and loose-fitting joints – take on rain and groundwater during storms. The extra rain and groundwater fill the system up even faster.

Q: So, what’s the big deal if a sewer pipe becomes overly full?

A: The real life consequence is that the raw, untreated sewage will back up into any opening it can find. That means it will back up through drains into people’s basements and seep out through manholes into the streets.

Q: Has that begun to happen?

A: City leaders say there have been no physical signs of a problem. That is slightly different than what Lawrence-Douglas County Planning commissioners were told in September. Dave Wagner, the city’s assistant director for utilities, told commissioners that a pump station – a facility that pumps sewage uphill – had overflowed and that a small amount of raw sewage flowed into the Kansas River near Sixth and Kentucky streets. Wagner pointed to that as a sign the system was having capacity problems. But now city officials say the pump in the station had a mechanical problem that caused the overflow.

Q: So if there’s no physical problem, why is the city concerned?

A: A new engineer in the city’s utility department noticed that building permit data showed there were likely as many people in parts of the northwest area today as were supposed to be there by 2010. The number of people in an area is a factor in determining how large a sewer system needs to be. If there are more people than expected in an area, that leads to concerns the sewer system is too small.

Q: What has the city done to make sure the system doesn’t become overloaded?

• Planning director resigns (11-12-05)
• 6News video: Planning director to step down (11-11-05)
• 6News video: Sewer pump station could get upgrades (11-11-05)
• City faces growth woes (11-10-05)
• Sewer plant may be needed sooner (11-10-05)
• Sewer update eases worries (11-04-05)
• City Manager’s Memorandum on the 2003 Wastewater Master Plan

A: In September, city planners began placing conditions on projects that were seeking city approval to build in the northwest area. The conditions mainly consisted of prohibiting projects – everything from new neighborhoods to retail developments – from receiving a building permit until further studies on the sewer system are completed.

Q: How long are the studies expected to take?

A: The first study – which places meters on pipes to measure how much flow is going through them – is expected to be done by the end of the year. The city has held out hope that the data will show the problem isn’t serious enough to stop the projects from moving forward. A second study by the engineering firm Black & Veatch will take the data from the first study and detail what might be needed to address the issue. It also will look at how much population the northwest sewer system can handle. That study is expected to be done by spring.

Q: What’s the big deal about developers being told they have to wait a few months?

A: Both developers and city commissioners have expressed concern that if projects are temporarily stopped, it could have a serious consequence for the city’s economy. It is generally agreed that the building industry is one of the larger industries in the city, both in terms of spending and tax dollars that it generates. There also is concern that if projects are stopped or delayed it will result in a shortage of building lots, which will raise the price of housing. Plus, several developers have said the situation has shaken their confidence and eroded their willingness to invest because they are no longer confident that they can count on the city’s plans.

Q: Does all this mean that construction has shut down in the northwest area? Is there a building permit moratorium?

A: No. There are still building permits that can be issued for the northwest area. Thus far, the city has taken the position that any project that had received final planning approval prior to September but had not yet applied for a building permit is still eligible to receive a building permit. That amounts to a little more than 400 lots in the northwest area.

Q: What concerns do developers have about the sewer issue?

A: Developers say there are a couple of problems. First, they made plans based on what they thought were reliable projections by the city. They’ve scheduled certain projects for certain times and have expenses to pay (like loan payments to the bank) regardless of whether the project happens on time. The second problem is that in Lawrence it generally takes a couple of years for a project to go from a design to an approved project to a lot that someone is ready to build on. Many of the projects that have been delayed were scheduled to come on line in late 2006 or 2007. But now that they have been delayed by four months and counting, it will be difficult to have those lots ready for builders in time for the busy spring home-buying season. Phil Struble – president of Landplan Engineering, who has worked on many of the projects – said that meant there could be a shortage of available homes for buyers to choose from in 2007. That means there could be a spike in housing prices.

Q: How did the city get into this situation?

A: There hasn’t been a definitive answer to that yet. The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce has called for an independent auditor to examine what went wrong. Some city commissioners have expressed an interest in hiring an auditor. Some developers have questioned the accuracy of population projections that the city used in its 2003 Wastewater Master Plan. But city managers recently have said they believe the projections, although not perfect, were reasonable. City leaders, though, have conceded that it would have been helpful to have more people on the utilities department staff that could have more regularly tracked building permit information and seen the warning signs related to population one to two years earlier. City leaders also have said that the city could have benefited from increased communication and coordination between the utilities department, the planning office and other city departments that are involved in the development process. Some city commissioners have said that they believe the situation points to a breakdown in the city’s ability to plan big-picture issues. “We have not been proactive enough in planning and sticking to a plan,” City Commissioner David Schauner said.

Q: How do we fix the sewer system?

A: Likely, the city will have to accelerate several projects that had been planned to be done a year or more from now. For example, city leaders had planned on enlarging a pump station near Sixth and Kentucky streets in 2007. They now believe that will have to happen in 2006. The project has an estimated cost of $1.6 million. City Manager Mike Wildgen has said there may be other projects that have to be completed earlier than expected as well. A total estimate of how much the fixes may cost hasn’t been determined.

Q: How will this be paid for? Are sewer rates going to go up again?

A: Your rates are scheduled to go up again, but that was decided before this sewer situation emerged. Rates increases took effect last January that raised the bills of many residents by 9 percent to 15 percent. Commissioners tentatively have agreed to implement similar rate increases each of the next four years to help pay for a $76 million sewer treatment plant and other system needs. Commissioners have said they don’t want to raise rates anymore than they’ve already projected. Wildgen has said the accelerated projects might be able to be paid for by delaying other projects planned for the system. There’s also been the suggestion from city managers that developers might be asked to pay a portion of the project’s cost to get developments moving forward again.

Q: What’s going to happen next?

A: City staff members – and their hired consultants – are working to get the two studies done. If the study that is scheduled to be completed next month gives city planners enough comfort level that the system isn’t as full as thought, then developments may be allowed to move forward again. If the study doesn’t provide that level of comfort, then projects may have to wait to learn their fate until the second study is completed in the spring. Meanwhile, Wildgen said he’s added two new engineers to his staff who will be assigned to monitor the impact that new development is having on the city’s infrastructure. City departments also are meeting on a more regular basis to discuss development and infrastructure issues.