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PERU — The new owner of a popular Peru mobile-home park is seeking town support for a plan to construct a public sewage-treatment system there.
Tam Phung, who has owned South Acres Park on Route 22 for the past few years, would like to replace the park's failing individual septic systems with a public system that would serve all 80 mobile homes.
The upgrade would also pave the way for an expansion of as many as 70 additional mobile-home sites at South Acres.
AGING SYSTEM
"Mr. Phung first approached me with a request to expand South Acres Park," said John Kanoza, director of the Clinton County Health Department's Environmental Division.
"I told him that before we do that, we will have to take care of the existing system, which is showing signs of its age."
Septic systems typically last between 20 and 30 years, Kanoza explained, depending on the quality of available soils. Conditions have been good at South Acres Park, but the systems are now beginning to fail.
"When you have a couple of failures here and there, that's a sign that you might want to start looking into upgrades," Kanoza said. "As they fail, it becomes a public-health problem."
LONG-TERM ANSWER
At South Acres, every two mobile homes are tied into an individual septic system.
As systems failed, Phung has been able to correct the problem by installing new leech fields. But a central system for the entire park would represent a long-term solution to the problem.
"Mr. Phung has taken the initiative through his engineer (the Laberge Group) to go out and look for a grant for this project," Kanoza said. "From that effort, he has found $400,000 through the Community Development Block Grant."
TOWN HELP NEEDED
That kind of grant has to go through a municipality, Kanoza said.
Phung has sought that approval from the Town of Peru, which has held public hearings and listened to arguments from the Laberge Group and the Clinton County Health Department.
Town officials will act on the proposal March 22.
"As a private citizen, Mr. Phung cannot apply for the grant," said Town Supervisor Peter Glusko. "The application needs our signature, but it will not cost the town any money."
The proposed treatment system would include the removal of solids and secondary treatment for wastewater, using a sand-filtration system, Kanoza said. The system will also remove phosphorus.
The overall project is expected to be more than $500,000. Phung would be responsible for any costs above the $400,000 grant and has verified with the town that those funds are available.
SITES NEEDED
"South Acres is a worthy project," Glushko said. "The park provides a place for folks to live at an affordable cost. With other parks closing, it's important for the community (to keep South Acres open)."
The tax base from an expanded park will also benefit the town, he added.
The town may have an easier time securing future block grants if the South Acres project moves forward smoothly, he said.
E-mail Jeff Meyers at: jmeyers@pressrepublican.com
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