Mason City, IA- A small group of North Iowa homeowners are looking at other options.
They're not happy that it will cost more to replace their sewer system than many expected.
Portland is a small unincorporated community just southeast of Mason City, IA.
The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health says the sewer systems are outdated and don't meet current requirements.
Doug Peters has a lot to be thankful for at his home in Portland.
"It's quiet, there's two cars that go down the road every day, the mailman and me."
But Peters and his neighbors are not thankful for the price they will likely have to pay in order to upgrade their sewer system.
"Instead of thanksgiving these year we're gonna call it thanks taking."
Overflow from Portland’s current septic system runs into the Winnebago River, and by law the underground tanks are too close to drinking wells.
"The septic systems that are servicing all of the properties are decades old and so they were installed differently way back when," said Cerro Gordo County Environmental Services Manager Brian Hanft.
He says he was hoping to keep the cost to homeowners at about $75 a month for the next 15 years.
The lowest bid for a public system came in at around $120.
Peters says that price could make his neighborhood a little lonelier.
"There's a lot of retired people out here, and it's gonna be real tough on them, because it's gonna be an extra payment for them and when you get to that retirement age groceries go up and everything is going up," he said.
Hanft says there are about 600 communities just like Portland across the state of Iowa.
"Long term all these communities are going to get updated so the sooner we do it the cheaper it's gonna be."
Hanft says state money will cover about 20 percent of the project. He says even though the bids are in, they are still exploring other options.
"As a county, we're not done looking for external funding sources, and we've talked a lot about that we can't guarantee that, but we'll do the best we can."
If more of his neighbors leave the cost to Peters will go up, that's why he's working to find the best solution.
"Most people are just gonna bite the bullet and do it you know."
Peter's says some of his neighbors are exploring their own options. They're looking at putting in a new individual septic tank, or leach field type system.
Some homeowners just don't have the space, so a public option is the only solution for them.
Homeowner's in Portland could pay off the project all at once instead of paying a monthly charge over the next 15 years.
County leaders want a decision from them by next week.
