KELSO RESIDENTS TO DECIDE $1.7 MILLION BOND ISSUE JUNE 4

KELSO -- The town of Kelso, like many small Missouri towns, has never had a city sewer system.

But that could change after June 4, when residents will vote on a $1.7 million bond issue that would fund a city system. And according to a Missouri Health Department official, the measure is long overdue.

"The soil is so tight it will no longer absorb water very long after it pops out of the ground," said Warren Manning of the Scott County Health Department.

"You just can't construct a private sewer system that will operate very long and meet state regulations. The only answer is for them to hook onto a city sewage system."

The inability of private systems to handle the problem has caused more than just contamination of a substantial number of Chaffee's wells. Bank loans sought by residents for homes are being turned down because sewage systems in some of the homes don't pass state health inspections, Manning said.

"They won't be able to sell homes, so it's pretty important they sell the bonds," said Manning.

According to state figures, 37 percent of wells in Scott County are contaminated. Manning said in addition to Kelso, which has a population of about 500, the Scott County town of New Hamburg also does not have a town sewer system.

The state average for well contamination is 43 percent.

Manning said the sewage problems are worse in the area around Kelso, where the ground is made up of a clay-type soil. He said other parts of the county have sand-based soil that accommodates a large number of private wells better.

The fact that Kelso has never had a city system is not unusual, Manning said.

"It's pretty common throughout the state in small communities," he said. "The cost of a municipal system is large, especially when you're dividing it up between few people."

If residents decide to go ahead with the sewer project, it will mean a $30 to $35 charge per month per household.

The 20-year bond issue includes $1.6 million for a sewer system and $100,000 to pay off the remainder of the debt incurred in 1974 when the city sold bonds to finance a water system.

Manning said that when construction of a water system was approved, the city also tried to get voters to approve a sewer system. But the measure was defeated.

"There are a number of older people who live in towns like (Kelso) who are on limited budgets and don't think they can afford the extra things," he said. "Now they've got a lot of nice new homes and younger people who I think are willing to do this."

The city will try to receive a federal grant to help pay for the project, but Manning said such grants are becoming scarce and hard to obtain.

The town already has purchased 10 acres of land to build a sewer lagoon. If voters approve the bond issue, construction on the system could begin as soon as spring 1992.

But Manning said if the issue fails, the state health department will be forced to crack down on improper sewage systems in the town.

"We are trying to strengthen the laws on controlling inadequate or unapproved sewage systems, because right now the law does not have enough teeth in it to be enforced," he said.

Legally forcing someone to fix or upgrade their system involves enforcement of city ordinances by the county prosecuting attorney, a procedure that could take a year or longer to work, Manning said.