PORTLAND, Ore. - Some Portland residents say the city is forcing them to install sewer connection lines from their property to the city sewer system and is also sticking them with the bill.
At a recent meeting with affected residents, Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman said that's the way it is in "many cities" and he expects compliance.
One Southeast Portland woman says the total estimate she received to build the connection is over $45,000.
Homeowners recently received letters from the Bureau of Environmental Services stating they needed to hook into the sewer system.
The cost estimate to run the line – one was for over $9,000 – also stated there was also a service fee of $50 which was waived in the letter KATU was shown.
Other property owners received quotes of between $6,000 and $18,000 to fix their sewer lines.
Adele Bowen, a resident of Southeast Portland since 1961, said the estimate by the city to hook her home into a main sewer line 60 feet from her property was over $9,000 for permits and a connector fee.
A contactor she contacted to get an estimate said the extra work needed would cost over $36,000, for a grand total of over $45,000.
Commissioner Saltzman, who oversees the Bureau of Environmental Services, recently met with dozens of frustrated homeowners who received notices. Over 100 letters were recently sent to Portland residents.
Saltzman said that there is no city fund to cover the costs and that the responsibility for compliance rests with the homeowner.
When asked if the past taxes paid by residents should have covered the costs of converting, he said only that the city offers financing to homeowners who cannot pay for the service all at once.
He said Portland’s policy of requiring homeowners to pay to connect to the sewer line is no different than the policies in many other cities.
Adele Bowen said they only way she can see herself paying for the work is to take the money out of her 401(k) retirement plan but she said she does not want to do that.
Bowen has a September 24 deadline to have the work completed. City officials did say they may re-evaluate costs and deadlines on a case-by-case basis.
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