Newfield sewer system project anticipated to conclude mid-July

The town of Newfield’s sewer system enhancement project is anticipated to conclude sooner rather than later.

According to Newfield Town Supervisor Michael Allinger, the project is in line to finish in the middle of this month, instead of the end of the month or at the beginning of August.

The project, which began in April, entails an upgrade where the town can closely monitor the flow control within the town’s sewer infrastructure.

Allinger noted that there is work at one more manhole to complete. The project will then enter its last phase, which reviews all of the specifications of the work done.

“We’re ahead of schedule. Things have gone pretty smoothly,” Allinger said. “There were some [snags] in getting supplies, but the contractor was able to work around it and get the work done.”

The project became a priority when the town’s flow control in the sewer system reached 90%. Allinger said that this triggered the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to demand handling the issue by mitigating the flow of stormwater coming into the system.

“The flow [beforehand] was too large for the holding tanks we had in our own septic area,” Allinger said.

The town will now have the capability of keeping the flow in check. The infrastructure links the individual septic tanks and facilitates wastewater conveyance along Main Street, Pearl Street, Bank Street and a section of Depot Road to the town’s leach field.

“This [project] will allow us to get cameras down into the pipeways in the system and take a look at flow at different points in time to establish where these leaks of stormwater are entering the sewer system,” Allinger said.

The cost of the project remains at $1,113,485, Allinger said. Grants totalling to $377,609 will help to cover the costs, while the rest of the amount will be covered by bonds. The town’s special sewer district will manage the servicing of these bonds through taxes and quarterly billing.

Allinger mentioned that the town is offering funding through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for eligible homeowners within Newfield’s sewer district to make the necessary repairs, including to their own septic tanks. The funding is available for single-family and small rental properties, with eligibility based on a low-to-moderate income scale.

Information on the CDBG funding can be found at newfieldny.org. Allinger said that about four households have taken advantage of the funding so far.

“It’ll be good to have [this project] behind us, and we look forward to solving the problems of the stormwater flow,” Allinger said.

As the town reaches the conclusion of its sewer project, another area project is in the distance. Allinger said that the town is attempting to lock in state and federal funding for a future water infrastructure project, which will require doing maintenance for the existing water district.

The town is making a fourth attempt to apply for funding through the state’s Water Infrastructure Improvement (WIIA) program. Allinger hopes that Newfield is at the top of the list.

The water project was projected to cost around $4 million a few years ago, but Allinger expects the amount to rise due to inflation and supply costs.

Allinger said that the town’s current water infrastructure is over 40 years old, with no major work done in that time period. Water mains “haven’t been touched” under the roads, Allinger added, noting that town residents have expressed concern for seepage of silt and the presence of discolored water in the system.

“We’re trying our best to secure the funding to get this work done,” Allinger said. “We have to create certain redundancies in the source supply of the water. All of that figures into this project. It’s a pretty large undertaking.”

Newfield Notes appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

First performance of Newfield Music Series postponed

The opening week performance of this year’s Newfield Music Series at Mill Park was postponed due to the weather.

The concert featuring the Yardvarks, originally scheduled for last Wednesday (June 26), has been moved to July 17 at 6 p.m. The rest of the series lineup is as follows, with each show beginning at 6 p.m.:

• July 10: Cast Iron Cowboys
• July 24: Tim Ball and Mark Bickford
• Aug. 14: Square dancing with Caller Marc Faris
• Aug. 28: Rev Ezra

Further information on the Newfield Music Series at Mill Park can be found on either its Facebook or Instagram page.

Yoga for beginners at Newfield library this Saturday

A yoga for beginners class will be held at Newfield Public Library from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 6.

Phyllis KuanYin Chi, a yoga teacher certified through Yoga Farm in Lansing, will lead the class. The instructor also has additional training trauma-informed yoga.

The class will be held every Saturday on the second floor of the library. It is suitable for people new to yoga or those with mobility issues. There is also an opportunity to deepen poses for those with more experience.

The class is for ages 18 and older. People must have their own yoga mat or blanket. The class is free, but there is a suggested donation of $10.