Heather Wright/The Independent

Dawn-Euphemia is taking the unusual step of ordering a new septic system be installed and the cost be placed on the homeowner’s taxes.

The township has been trying to deal with a septic issue in Edys Mills since June 2019 when neighbours reported effluent was flowing off the property and onto the road allowance. County inspectors went to look into the problem and ordered the owner of the home to have the septic tank pumped out. The owner told the county that was being done in July but when the inspector returned, it was still full.

The county then ordered the tenants of the mobile home on the property to move out in July.

But it took until July 2020 for the people to finally leave, after they had exhausted all their legal avenues and the sheriff would deliver the orders which had stopped being served during the earliest part of the pandemic.

Clerk Donna Clermont told council she’d recently talked to the owner and found he was planning to rent out the mobile home on the property again. He’s still living in another building on the property even though the system has not been properly fixed.

So, county and municipal officials recommended the township hire someone to do the work and charge back the estimated $20,000 on the property taxes.

Clermont urged council to act quickly since the work needed to be done by Dec. 15. She said a new tank could be installed and the rest of the work, including a weeping bed, could be complete in the spring.

Councillor Leslea Williams voiced concerns that if the landowner didn’t pay the taxes which included the cost of the renovations, the township would not be able to do anything about it. Williams says it is her understanding people cannot lose their homes because of property standards problems. Township officials are looking into the matter.
And there was also concern about moving ahead now if there were no tenants on the property. Clermont says the owner continues to live there and the work has to be done for that outbuilding as well.

“It sounds like he needs a septic system no matter what,” says Councillor Mark McGuire. “$20,000 …sounds like a pretty good deal to me…I guess he’s gonna foot the bill.”

Council agreed to move ahead on the work immediately.