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Two more years for Drayton sewers

By Meg Olson

Whatcom County Council approved more time for south Drayton Harbor residents to finalize arrangements for sewer to come into the area.

At the December 11 county council meeting the vote was 4-2, with Dan McShane and Connie Hoag opposed, to give proponents of sewer for the area another two years to finance and design a system extension from Birch Bay or Blaine.

The first ordinance, adopted in November, 1999 put south Drayton Harbor into the Blaine short term planning area, which allows it to be served with municipal sewers under the county growth policies. Failing septic systems in the area were potentially affecting water quality in the harbor and a group of residents felt sewer was a better answer than septic replacement.

“There is a feeling that the assessments (to extend the sewer) will be too high and it’s going to take some outside funding,” said Birch Bay Water and Sewer District manager Roger Brown, who has been working with residents on the sewer. “The most likely source of that funding would be a regional sewer system.” The regional system that would join Blaine and Birch Bay would pass through the south Dratyon Harbor area..

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