Expert sewer advice offered at meeting

JACKSON, Mo. -- Sewer problems large enough for a city or small enough for a household will be discussed at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Cape Girardeau County Extension Office.

Any individual or group involved in a housing development has to deal with sewage problems, say officials with the state extension office.

Frank Wideman and Gerald Bryan of the extension program, along with representatives from the Midwest Assistance Program Inc. will speak at the meeting. MAP is a non-profit community development organization. It serves small, rural communities as a cost-free, independent technical consultant on water, wastewater and solid waste management issues across nine states.

Organizers plan to be available to answer questions from homeowners, developers and community leaders concerning sewer problems and wastewater facilities.

Options for development and financing of new sewer facilities will be covered. Speakers will address ways for individuals, community leaders, public water supply districts, municipalities, rural electric cooperatives and county commissions to all work cooperatively for the purpose of implementing local solutions to effectively resolve wastewater issues.

The extension office and MAP have received a variety of inquiries concerning small community sewer issues, ranging from failing septic tank systems to initiating a new sewer project.

Additional information on the meeting is available by calling Len Coffelt with Midwest Assistance Program at (573) 636-8211, Wideman at (573) 547-4505, or Bryan at 243-3581.