Plum Borough Municipal Authority officials have given a second extension to a contractor installing sewer lines along upper New Texas Road.
The extension was granted following residents' complaints that officials have not done all they promised to restore properties to their pre-construction condition.
"I want topsoil (put down) so my grass will grow," Elvira Wilson of Knollview Drive said Tuesday. "We're not happy with the way they've left our property."
Contractor J. D. Martin Construction, of Poland, Ohio, plans to do more restoration work once the entire line is constructed, said officials with R.F. Mitall & Associates, the municipal authority's engineering firm.
The work was scheduled to be completed this week, but officials said rainy weather has kept the suburban-Youngstown contractor from finishing the job on time. Municipal authority officials initially said the work would be completed in late July.
Wilson, who has lived in her home for 47 years, said her back yard was dug up to install the sewer line. Wilson said the construction occurred about 25 feet from her back door, with her grape arbor and two maple trees falling victim to the work.
Wilson said she can understand that the trees and grape arbor had to go. But Wilson fears she won't have grass in her back yard again.
"We are upset," she said.
Diane Kenna, of Knollview Drive, whose back yard was dug up to install the sewer line, said residents were told the contractor would restore the property by putting down 6 inches of topsoil, grass seed, fertilizer and straw.
Kenna said the fertilizer was placed directly onto clay.
Officials with Mitall's office said yesterday the bulk of the restoration of residents' properties will occur once the remaining 2,000 feet of sewer line is in place. They did not have a timetable.
The project cost for each residence is $9,761.
"It is so way out of line," Wilson said. "We're paying through the nose, and they're not doing a good job."
Under the current payment plan, each household must pay a $3,900 tap-in fee. Also, each household must pay a proposed surcharge of $108 per quarter for 20 years. Residents will not be required to tap in until January.
The homeowners also will be charged for sewage treatment. The average household sewage bill in Plum is $77.50 per quarter, officials said. The municipal authority also plans to contribute $112,000.
The sewer-line installation, projected to cost $813,155, includes the conversion of septic tanks to sewers. The Allegheny County Health Department several years ago mandated the installation of the sewer line after determining that some septic tanks were malfunctioning.
