You may be eligible for CWC septic program

MARGARETVILLE, NY, March 26, 2007 - Eligibility requirements for the Catskill Watershed Corporation’s Septic Rehabilitation and Replacement Program have been revised to allow more homeowners to participate.

If you live within the New York City Watershed in Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan or Ulster Counties, and your septic system is within 150 feet of a watercourse, or 500 feet of a reservoir or reservoir stem, you may sign up to have your system pumped out and inspected.

Homeowners within the newly expanded eligibility distance should have received a letter explaining how to participate in the program. A toll-free call to the CWC (1-877-928-7433) to arrange an initial visit with technical staffers is the first step.

Participation is entirely voluntary. Those who sign up agree to have their system examined. If the system appears to have failed, or is likely to fail, the CWC will reimburse full-time residents 100 percent of the cost of replacement. Part-time or non-resident property owners will be reimbursed 60 percent of eligible repair or replacement costs.

Your one-or two-family residence or home-business combination must use less than 1,000 gallons of water per day.

TIf your system is farther than 150 feet from a watercourse, and you have received a Notice of Failure or Violation from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, you are still required to make the repairs. Keep receipts from all design and construction work done on the system and you may be eligible for reimbursement at some point in the future.