GRANGER — A “stinky” septic situation for several business owners here could soon be swept away by the promise of sewers.

The idea of establishing a sewer system and wastewater treatment plant in the business district has sprung up again in Granger, where failing septic tanks and lack of room for wastewater treatment have flooded business owners with concerns.

Following an engineering feasibility study from Elkhart-based Wightman Petrie Inc. consulting firm, sewers make sense, Dr. Donn Kryder told about 20 people during a Granger Business Association meeting Tuesday night.

Firm officials Tuesday explained that a low-pressure sewer system and extended aeration wastewater treatment plant would be less costly than a gravity sewer system or a sequential batch reactor facility. The project last year was estimated at $4.1 million.

“The road widening could have a direct effect on whether this would even be feasible,” said David Rafinski of Wightman Petrie, explaining that now is the ideal time to proceed with a sewer system after the Indiana Department of Transportation’s notice this week to pursue the added lanes project on Indiana 23 from Adams Road to Bittersweet Trail.

But Mike Dobson of Diversified Real Estate said his company spent about $400,000 three years ago to set several “Granger Square” businesses on a cluster of septic systems that should last 20 years. There’s about five acres for expansion room there, he added, explaining that “I’m certainly in favor of a sewer in the long term, but obviously in the short term we obviously would not be interested in hooking up.”

If a 20-year bond at an assumed 5 percent rate was secured, the cost per residential equivalent unit would be about $48.36 per month, while the initial connection fee would be about $1,800 per residential equivalent unit, not including the cost of construction. (Many businesses are more than one residential equivalent unit.) Close to 50 actual residences were picked up in the project, while more than 100 businesses were surveyed.

The project will likely be funded by a revenue bond issued by the local wastewater district and be repaid through rates paid by customers. Those within the approved district will be required to connect to the system.

Officials now are eyeing five or six acres near Juday Creek or another discharge point for a treatment plant. If there is no strong objection in the next couple of weeks, plans should proceed, St. Joseph County Commissioner Mark Dobson, R-1st, said.