By Lexi MooreResidents in Steen received letters recently notifying them of changes to the city’s sewer system.The changes, approved by the town’s leaders, are a result of too much ground water entering the sewer system causing two major problems for the town.First, the additional water is causing the town’s treatment ponds to fill too quickly.State regulations require water levels in the ponds to remain under six feet. If the ponds fill above this point, the state requires them to be emptied.Regulations also dictate that towns can empty ponds twice a year.Second, the excess ground water is flowing into the town’s lift station, causing the station to back up, especially during heavy rainfall or melting.When the station backs up, the sewers in Steen back up into residents’ basements.Besides rainfall and melting snow, excess water is coming from improper use of sump pumps in the town. Residents have improperly connected pumps to drains in their basements, pushing the water into the sewer.The Steen City Council stated in the letter that the water needs to be discharged outside onto lawns instead of into the town’s sewer system.Steen Mayor Melvin Van Batavia said that the council has been visiting with each of the residents to determine the best way of fixing the problem."We have 74 houses in Steen and we have 74 different situations to deal with," he said.When the frost thaws, the town plans to tile streets in town to aid in the flow of excess water and eliminate puddles from forming in residents’ lawns.The town will allow residents to use pumps, but the runoff will have to be directed to the street, not into the sewer.Officials have offered to assist households who cannot afford pumps. They will help with the initial purchase and allow residents to pay the cost off on their city taxes over time.