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The Sewer Project – Phase II
Project Update November 2023
Work will be starting in November 2023.
Notices have been mailed to property owners in the district with more information. Note that the start time on the Katonah Project has been changed to 8:15 AM.
Project Schedules will be posted shortly.
Project Background
After creating the Bedford Hills - Katonah Phase II Sewer District by referendum in October 2020, the Town of Bedford has designed and is currently obtaining regulatory approval for a sewer system to serve 89 residential properties primarily along Bedford, Edgemont and Valley Roads in Katonah; thirteen commercial parcels along Railroad Avenue in Bedford Hills; and the apartments and condominiums at Bedford Lake in Bedford Hills.
The Phase II project will eliminate existing individual on-site septic systems and cesspools. The effluent from these areas will be sent to pump stations constructed as part of the Phase I project and will be treated at the Town's wastewater plant.
Construction of the Phase II Sewer District will include approximately 3,300 linear feet of gravity sewer main, 4,000 linear feet of low-pressure sewer main, and 5,700 linear feet of force main, all installed primarily within existing roadways. The project will also include the construction of a new wastewater pump station to replace the Bedford Lake WWTP, which will be decommissioned.
Total wastewater generated from the Phase II Sewer District is estimated to be 60,000 gallons per day. The Town's wastewater plant currently has a capacity of 500,000 gallons per day. Currently, all this capacity has been allocated to Phase I Sewer District customers, so an increase in capacity will be required. This increase in capacity requires a variance from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP), which has been obtained, as well as a permit modification from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), which is currently under review. Proposed upgrades include increases in the equalization tank and pumping capacity at the plant.
The total estimated project cost is $13.1 million. Funding for the project is proposed to be a combination of NYC funding and Phase II District Bonding. The bond issue is proposed to be $175,000, with the remainder of the funds coming from NYC.
Project Status
The collection system and plant expansion engineering design were completed in the fall 2021 on schedule. The regulatory review was completed and the project bid in fall 2023. Construction will begin in November 2023 and take approximately 15 months.
The project scope includes the Town obtaining easements from property owners so that the Town can install a sewer lateral up to either the existing septic tank or 5 inches from the building foundation, whichever is close to the sewer main. This reduces the cost to the property owner. The property owner will be required to sign the easement, connect to the lateral installed by the Town once the sewer system is in service, and abandon the existing septic system, which generally consists of having the tank pumped and filled with gravel or another inert material. The property owner's work must be performed by a licensed septic contractor or plumber for work more than 30 feet from the building foundation, and by a licensed plumber for work closer than 30 feet from the building foundation or inside the building.