LA PUENTE — The City Council will launch the largest public works project in La Puente's history, as it approved a $12 million plan to upgrade its sewer system and assess property owners to pay for it.

The current sewer system's pipes are more than 50 years old. Some pipes are missing, clogged, cracked, sagged, blocked and separated, officials said.

The program will begin in September and cost each single-family residential unit $84 annually for the next three years. Laundromats must pay $1,224 and restaurants $444 per year. Those fees will be re-evaluated after three years, city officials said.

Assessments will be necessary for 30 years to pay for the repairs, they said.

Councilman Louie Lujan said the decision to repair the sewer system, estimated at $12,470,000, was based on foresight.

"I really see this as being a moral issue," he said. "It's beyond just an economic argument. It's about being a responsible member of the community, being environmentally conscious and considering the health and safety of the future members of the city."

Lujan believed the damaged and missing pipes could be a hazard to public safety, citing groundwater contamination issues.

"Sewer pipes are set inside the dirt. But, with cracked and aging pipes, sewage can leak into our groundwater supply. If nothing is done now, we will surely face a severe environmental and health problem in the near futire" Lujan said.

Prior community forums also addressed the fees. From those forums, changes were adopted into the revised plan.

The main change would benefit seniors. A 40 percent discount on charges to fixed- income seniors with proof of water usage of less than 200 gallons per day was approved.