FINDLEY LAKE — More than 100 people attended a public meeting in the Findley Lake Community Center on Saturday to learn about the draft plan for a proposed public sewer system in the town of Mina.

Matt Zarbo of Barton & Loguidice Engineering reviewed the preliminary engineering report. He provided information on a potential sewer district boundary, the type of collection system the town would use, connection requirements for homeowners, charges for users, project capital costs and estimated annual costs.

Rebecca Brumagin, Mina town supervisor, opened the meeting, noting that it was an optional public meeting, but the town board members wished to keep residents informed at every step of the process.

“Once the board has finalized the report, we will have an official public hearing,” she said. “This is to just get the draft plan information out to everyone.”

Brumagin also noted that all of the documents are on the town website (townofmina.info). All the documents, including the entire preliminary engineering report, are there. She also noted that visitors to the site can read several letters from various county and state agencies, encouraging the municipality to create a sewer district.

Zarbo told those present that the map plan and report is the legal document for the sewer district plan. He said the main element for the project revolves around the phosphorus levels in the lake.

“The levels are more than the lake can handle. That is a large driver of this project,” he said.

If the project goes forward, a wastewater treatment plant would be constructed near Interstate 86, Zarbo said. The system would be a hybrid collection system (gravity and low pressure) with a sequencing batch reactor waste water treatment plant.

A gravity collection system is feasible when the land is fairly level or sloped, Zarbo said. This system is more expensive to build, but less expensive to maintain.

However, in areas with rolling terrain, a low pressure collection system is required, in which a pump conveys the sewage.

“This one is a lot less expensive to build, but more expensive to maintain,” he said.

If a resident requires the low pressure system, the town will install the pump and grinder. However, the homeowner will be responsible to connect the pump to their electrical service, Zarbo said.

The average connection cost for the homeowner, according to Zarbo would be $2,000 to $3,000. This includes digging up the line, connecting to the electric service and decommissioning the sewer tank, he said. He noted that there are organizations that currently provide grants to individual residents for projects such as these.

Zarbo went on to speak about the annual user cost, which he estimated to be roughly $1350 to $1,850. This includes two charges. The capital debt will cost each homeowner between $700 and $1,200 annually, depending on the amount of grant funding that can be obtained. The operation and maintenance charge will be approximately $660, he said.

Zarbo said the projected capital cost of the entier project would be $28.8 million. One third of this would go to building the treatment plant and two thirds would be used to build the collection system.

It is estimated that grant funding will provide for 50-75% of the cost, Zarbo said. A 30- to 38-year loan would be taken out to pay the balance of the cost.

Brumagin noted that the projected budget and estimated costs were “conservative,” meaning that they anticipates the highest expenses and the least funding.

If the project continues to move forward, Zarbo said, next year will involve designing the system and obtaining funding. The following two years would be construction years.

In response to a question about the impact the system would have on the lake, Zarbo noted that representatives of the town will be meeting with the DEC on Sept. 19.