By RAELYNN RICARTE
News staff writer

Hood River County will advertise for a contractor to extend sewer mains into a health hazard area of Windmaster Corner.

Dave Meriwether, county administrator, said the $2 million project to replace failing septic systems is expected to begin this summer.

“A lot of years and a lot of effort have gone into trying to address this public health problem. We’re now at the point of putting the project out to bid and getting it constructed,” said Meriwether.

“Our goal has been to keep the rates as low as possible. It’s still a lot of money for ratepayers but we’ve done the best that we could.”

The county recently obtained a $500,000 grant and $500,000 low-interest loan from the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department. That money is added to about $350,000 in federal funds, $104,000 contributed by the Port of Hood River and $293,000 provided by the City of Hood River. The remaining balance of slightly more than $250,000 will come out of the county’s coffers.

Ninety-eight properties between Windmaster Corner and Portland Drive lie within the sewer district. Lands in that area are at highest risk for septic failure because they sit over a concrete-like mix of soil and stone. Since the sub-layer cannot be penetrated by water runoff, drain fields frequently flood during heavy rains. State and county officials want to stop raw sewage carrying bacteria, viruses and possibly parasites from rising to the surface.

Meriwether said property owners within the sewer district will likely pay $75-$90 per month for the new service. In addition, these residents will bear the financial expense of running lines from the sewer main, along a public roadway, to their dwelling. In 2006, that cost was estimated by one Windmaster resident at $1,000 for a 4-inch line that extends 75 feet — if the property sits high enough for a gravity flow.

If a grinder pump is necessary — as it will be for low-lying areas — the cost was anticipated to be about $4,500 per household.

Some Windmaster landowners have protested being included in the sewer district when their septic systems are functioning properly. They contend it is unfair for the county to redirect funds from properties with no sanitation problems to address the potential health risks for a few dozen parcels.

Meriwether said the board of commissioners will decide by the start of construction whether it will be mandatory for every property to be hooked up to a sewer line.

To keep the monthly bills down for residents, the county has formed an Urban Renewal District at Windmaster. That zone incorporates all properties in and around the problem area but does not result in any new taxes being imposed upon landowners.

The URD allows annual valuation increases that are received by fire districts and other public agencies to be frozen for up to 25 years. The county can then divert the extra money from valuation adjustments toward repayment of the $500,000 state loan.

Two decades ago, county leaders became aware that an unsanitary situation was occurring intermittently across a 130-acre swath of ground in and around Windmaster Corner. After learning of the problem, state officials granted an exception to a law that prohibited the extension of sewer lines beyond a city’s Urban Growth Boundary.