ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    February
    19,
    1981
    CITY OF ASSUMPTION,
    )
    Petitioner,
    PCB 80—223
    ILLINOIS
    ENVIRONMENTAL
    pf)rfl~c9~()!~
    AGENCY,
    Respondent.
    OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD
    (by s.D.
    Durnelle):
    On December
    8,
    1980,
    the City of Assumption filed a
    Petition for Variance from the limitation on new sewer connections
    to allow the connection of
    a 16 unit,
    single bedroom,
    federally
    financed apartment complex for the elderly to the Assumption
    s&~ersystem.
    Though unspecified, the Board construes the
    petition to be requesting variance from Rule 962(a) of Chapter
    3
    of the Board~sRegulations:
    Water Pollution.
    The
    Illinois
    Environmental Protection Agency
    (Agency)
    filed a recommendation
    to
    deny the petition on ~anuary 16,
    1981 along with a motion
    to
    file it instanter.
    That motion is hereby granted.
    Hearing
    was
    waived and
    none was held.
    Assumption owns and operates a treatment plant c~~nsisting
    of a two-cell waste stabilization pond.
    The
    plant wa~designed
    to receive and treat 0.18 million gallons per day
    (MGD) with
    an organic population equal
    to 1,800 population equivalent
    (P,~Ej.
    Discharge from the treatment plant is to Big
    George
    Creek,
    tributary to Flat Branch, tributary
    to the Sangamori
    flyer.
    The treatment plant was placed on restricted statuC
    oi
    ~June
    19,
    1974, due to hydraulic overloading since the average
    flow
    was found to be 0,75 MGD.
    Assumption
    is currently
    under
    step
    2 of the Construction Grants Program.
    While
    the
    A~jency
    alleges that Assumption has fallen behind the project
    schedule,
    it does recognize that progress
    is
    continuing and does
    not.
    refute Assumption~sallegation that the work will
    he
    complet~d
    on
    schedule
    (July,
    1982).
    Assumptions sewer system is a combined system includiii~
    connections to street, basement and roof drains.
    An 18—inch
    and a 15-inch drainage field tile which collect run—off
    from
    adjacent farms are also connected to the system and add 0.125
    MCD
    of inflow,
    As part of the sewage system upgrading,
    these
    field tile will be disconnected, but no timetable
    is given for
    disconnection.
    40—53 1
    —2—
    While Assumption alleges minimal environmental impact
    based upon the small additional load
    (20—30 P.EJ,
    the Board
    does not favor allowing any additional load in cases where
    basement flooding occurs.
    The Agency cites an Infiltration!
    Inflow study which indicates that “basement flooding is a
    widespread and frequent occurrence in Assumption.”
    The proposed
    development is near the middle of the affected area.
    This
    problem forms the basis for the Agency’s recommendation of
    denial.
    The Board agrees that the variance must be denied at this
    time.
    While
    a loss of federal
    funding for the project to the
    extent of
    $558,850 is alleged as an arbitrary and unreasonable
    hardship,
    the record
    is unclear as to whether these funds
    would
    be lost if the project were to be delayed until completion
    of improvements to the sewer system.
    Further,
    it is unclear
    whether the proposed improvements will remedy the problem
    of basement flooding.
    The Board cannot even determine from
    the record whether construction of the housing project has
    commenced.
    While an attachment to the petition indicates an
    anticipated commencement date of mid-July of 1980 and completion
    by March
    1,
    1981,
    there is no
    indication that construction
    has begun.
    A possible
    solution might be the installation
    of
    sewage holding tanks at the housing project but nothing
    was presented on this topic.
    For these reasons the Board finds that, based upon the
    present record,
    the adverse environmental impact of even
    a slight increase in sewer
    system loading in an area where
    “widespread and frequent” basement floods occur outweighs
    the speculative hardship.
    The petition for variance
    is,
    therefore,
    denied.
    This Opinion constitutes the Board’s findings of fact
    and conclusions of
    law in this matter.
    ORDER
    The Petition for Variance filed by the City of Assumption
    as PCB 80-223 is hereby denied.
    IT
    IS SO ORDERED.
    I, Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
    Control Board,
    hereby c~rtifytha
    t e above Opinion and Order
    was~o~ted
    on the
    /9
    day of
    __________,
    1981 by a vote
    Christan L. Moff’p~4Clerk
    Illinois Polluti’~W’ControlBoard
    40—532

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