Plantation · Chris Swain's grandfather's house on the lake was good for fishing.
Decades ago, E Lake, shaped like the letter, was full of fish, a lot less murky
green and free of most of the debris that settles there these days.
City officials say that runoff from septic tanks could be seeping into the lake,
which could cause health problems.
It's also time for the Westgate Lakes Manors community of about 156 homes just
west of State Road 7 and north of Broward Boulevard, to go from septic to sewer
as part of urban renewal, city officials said.
They expect the new system will help spur redevelopment of Plantation's eastern
and much older section of town.
To help finance the project, Westgate Lakes households can expect to pay $6,400
-- about $490 a year plus interest -- over 15 years. The City Council passed the
measure in a recent meeting.
"It's a crock. The lake comes and goes in phases," said Swain, 47, who now lives
in his grandfather's home on Northwest 42nd Terrace.
"During dry season the water level drops, it gets a milky color and the algae
blooms," he said. "My family has been here since 1954. I don't see why residents
should have to pay for capital improvement projects."
For some, it's a move toward progress, with redevelopment that translates to
higher property values. Others, like Swain see it as being forced upon them,
strapping them financially.
Plantation's utility department fund contributed about 72.2 percent of the
estimated $3.8 million cost of the six- to eight-month project. Residents don't
have to shoulder the cost of the connection from their home to the sewer lines
in the street, which usually runs $2,000 to $3,000, said Hank Breitenkam,
utilities director for Plantation.
"I've been here 23 years, people have asked when sewer lines are going to be
installed," Breitenkam said. "We started a couple of years ago on State Road 7
installing in commercial and retail areas south of Broward [Boulevard]."
With septic tanks, the sewage collects in an underground vault and is then
treated in the tank. The treated waste then goes out into a drain field and
settles in the ground.
"Of concern in the neighborhood is the lake," Breitenkam said. "It could cause
health problems."
Of the city's 27,447 homes, a little more than 3,000 households are on septic.
The five-year plan includes installing sewer systems in other neighborhoods such
as Fort Lauderdale Country Club, West Tropical Way and Plantation Acres.
"It would be nice if money were available to pay for all of this, but it's left
with the people who are going to benefit from the utility," Breitenkam said.
Residents with septic tanks don't pay for sewage. With the new system, they can
expect to pay a sewage fee close to what they pay for water a month, Breitenkam
said.
Swain feels Westgate Lakes residents are being singled out. City-funded projects
pay to improve golf courses, he complained.
Karen Grey, of Northwest 42nd Terrace, thinks it's a good project. "I think it
will be well worth it," she told Plantation City Council members in a recent
meeting.
Toni Marshall can be reached at tmarshall@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2004.
