NORWAY – The clock is ticking for the town and the owner of a Salanitas Drive property with a malfunctioning sewer system.

Earlier this month, the Division of Environmental Health informed Norway officials they had 30 days to take enforcement action against Ed Lyons and file a plan in writing or the town would be faced with penalties of at least $500. The town, in turn, notified Lyons that he must correct the system within 10 days or face enforcement action. The 10 days were up last week.

“We’re in a holding pattern,” Lyons said Tuesday.

Lyons and his wife, Doris, are facing a 10-year lien on their property to get the money for a new sewer system. The situation, they contend, was caused by the now defunct contractor who allegedly failed to install a proper system and Norway’s building inspector who they say failed to properly inspect it.

The hillside property is on Salanitas Drive off Route 118 less than 1,000 feet from Lake Pennesseewassee.

Earlier this month, Lyons called the state’s Division of Environmental Health after trying unsuccessfully for months to get the town to help pay for a new system. He asked the Division of Environmental Health for help to resolve the malfunctioning $25,000 sewer system that is now leaking effluent out of a pipe on the outlet side of the septic tank.

State Plumbing Inspector Brent Lawson said he found a malfunctioning system which was allowing effluent to drain into soil outside the leach field.

According to Lawson, the effluent bubbles up and heads down to a drainage ditch to the backyard of the Responsible Pet Care cat shelter on Route 118 and down the hill toward Lake Pennesseewassee.

Ed Lyons has met with selectmen and asked the town to help foot the bill. Officials have told him to apply for community block grant through Community Concepts, but the couple have been hesitant to place a 10-year lien on his house necessary to borrow the money.

Lyons said Tuesday he has filed the paperwork, but he still intends to ask the town to split the bill for the repairs 50/50.

“I submitted the forms to Community Concepts and I’m waiting to hear back from them,” he said.

Town Manager David Holt said Tuesday that he hopes Lyons will make the effort to fill out the paperworks for the funding and get the work done so the town will not be forced to go any further with the matter.

As far as the town’s deadline with the state is concerned, Holt said, “I hope through communication, we can work this out.”

ldixon@sunjournal.com