Sewer Project Moves Forward in Fruitland Area

Residents in the Fruitland area may have noticed surveying crews at work, leaving behind survey stakes marked “sewer”. These are signs of progress in getting an area-wide sewage collection and treatment system in place.

The voters in the area created the Sewer District in 1997, to address the sewage problems in the Fruitland vicinity. In July 2014, the District was reorganized and became the Cape Girardeau County Reorganized Common Sewer District. The District now operates twelve existing collection and treatment facilities and is in the process of acquiring an additional six systems.

The District Board has determined there is a need for an area-wide collection and treatment system to address the sewage problem. The best alternative is the construction of a system that would serve approximately 820 residents, 38 businesses, and 2 schools. The system would eliminate 18 existing treatment facilities and provide sewer service to approximately 400 homes that currently are on individual septic systems.

USDA-Rural Development has approved a funding package consisting of $14.4M in grants and low interest loan for this large project.

Board President and local resident Joe Tousignant said “It has taken a long time to get to this point. The citizens in the area identified the need for this project almost 19 years ago. The County Commission appointed a new District Board in 2009 and we have been making slow and steady progress since then. With the funding announcement from Rural Development, we are now finalizing the layout and design of the project. We need to have approved bids for construction in about two years, and hope to have the project completed in three.”

“I understand some folks were unaware of this project, and were surprised to find survey stakes in their yard. We felt it necessary to confirm our preliminary layout in the field before we presented the system to the public. We will be sending out an informational letter to affected residents as soon as next week, and will make other efforts to get the word out.”

Anyone interested in contacting the board may call Joe Tousignant at (573 )270-4444.