JOHNSON COUNTY GOVERNMENT
STATE OF KANSAS
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release: July 21, 2011
Contact: John O’Neil, general manager at Johnson County Wastewater, at (913) 715-8570
Sewer project involves Lone Elm Estates
OLATHE, KS (Johnson County Square) — Property owners in the Lone Elm Estates area, located north of Spring Hill, have petitioned Johnson County Wastewater for future sewer service.
On Thursday, July 21, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners scheduled a public hearing for August 25 to accept public comments on the proposed enlargement of the Consolidated Main Sewer District and the Consolidated Lateral Sewer District and the proposed creation of Lateral Sewer District No. 2 of Little Bull Creek No. 1 to provide sewers to Lone Elm Estates located at 180th Street and Lone Elm Road on the east side of Lone Elm Road. The public hearing begins 6:30 p.m. at the Sunset Drive Office Building, 11811 South Sunset Drive, Olathe.
An informational meeting was conducted on April 7 by Johnson County Wastewater regarding the possibility of the sewer project. Since then, a petition signed by owners of 58 percent of the land area in the proposed district has been submitted to the county requesting creation of the sewer district, which consists of a residential neighborhood with 63 homes served by septic tanks. This area has considered getting sewers since the early 1980s.
The project will include construction of low pressure sewer mains for the entire district as well as grinder pumps for property owners who decide to join the system. The sewers would connect to a force main going to the Little Bull Creek Pump Station.
The project is estimated to cost $1,475,640 and funded from special assessments to property owners. It is likely a key factor in the increase in support for sewers in this area is the availability of a new funding source. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has offered Johnson County Wastewater a State Revolving Fund Loan with 40 percent principle forgiveness (effectively a grant) for the project.
If authorized by the Board of County Commissioners, construction of the sewers would likely begin in early 2013 with completion expected by late summer 2013.