Cole County sets July 29 deadline for Russellville-area on-site sewage solution; options include hookup, holding tank or capping

The Cole County Commission on July 1 heard an extended staff and resident discussion about ongoing on-site sewage (OWTS) violations in the Russellville area and set a deadline for the property owners to present a solution.

Commissioners asked county health staff and residents to continue pursuing options. After more than an hour of discussion about funding barriers, technical options and public-health risks, the commission approved a motion setting 9 a.m. July 29 as the date by which the parties must present an agreement; if they do not, the county will take "appropriate action," as the motion states.

County health staff said continuing sewage discharge is a public-health concern and described three options discussed in the meeting: 1) cap the failing system (which staff said would render the dwelling uninhabitable), 2) install holding tanks (estimated at about $7,000–$9,000 with recurring pump-out costs of roughly $500 each service), or 3) connect to the Russellville sewer system (staff said tie-in cost estimates were about $14,500 per property). Staff and commissioners emphasized that financing the work remains a barrier: banks declined loans in some cases because of applicants' debt-to-income ratios, and a prior Russellville proposal to prefund work for later repayment was reported to be off the table.

Residents in the meeting — identified in the record as James and Christina Pierron — described attempts to secure funding and said one property may still be able to obtain funding while the other was struggling. Health-department staff (Joe) and commissioners discussed the county—s abatement options, the potential to place a lien on the property and the practical likelihood of recovering county costs through tax sale proceedings if a lien remained unpaid. Commissioners said the violation has persisted for roughly two years and said they would provide a set period for the owners to produce a plan rather than indefinitely delaying enforcement.

The motion recorded at the meeting was: "My motion is that 9AM, the July 29 is the due date for a solution that is proposed by the parties. And if not, the county will take appropriate action." The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Commissioners did not prescribe which specific abatement option the county will implement if owners fail to meet the deadline; they discussed options to place the cap or holding tanks as close to the effluent source or further away as practical.