Bayside – made up of the neighborhoods of Highland Beach, Riverview and Longmeadow – has been on the list for sewers for decades, and up until last week it was thought construction would start this summer.

As of this week, however, there’s some question if that’s going to happen and to how much longer more than 800 property owners will have to wait. Already, the Department of Environmental Management has extended its deadline for homes within 200 feet of the bay to close their cesspools or install costly septic systems on the basis that there would be sewers, or sewers would be under construction, by 2020.

Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur, who made bringing sewers to Bayside a plank in his bid for election seven year ago, is not happy.

Once elected, Ladouceur took on the Warwick Sewer Authority and the City Council, and after scores of meetings over two years basically revamped the authority and gained council approval of revenue bonds for the Bayside project, O’Donnell Hill sewers and Phase 3 Governor Francis.

While other extensions have been completed, Bayside – because of archeological findings in what was an area populated by Native Americans – has proved to be especially challenging. A plan designed not to disturb the archeological features – directional drilling – was adopted by the authority, and until this week that’s what was expected to begin this summer.

Now, Mayor Joseph Solomon, who as council president supported Ladouceur and his efforts, has concerns.

“I guess there was engineering work done, cost estimations, things of that nature, but I don’t think construction is commencing this summer because there are still issues that have to be addressed, namely cost allocation, whether they’re going to do directional [drilling] and the cost of that, because these things were unanticipated in the past,” he said in an interview Wednesday.

“I was told everything was all set and that the pipe would be going in June or July,” Ladouceur said of inquiries earlier this year. Last week the councilman learned things had changed, although he couldn’t say exactly what. He said he had heard the authority had missed some sort of filing deadline.

Solomon was unable to shed light on any omission that could have brought the project to a halt. He noted that Janine Burke-Wells had retired as executive director earlier this year and that the city has advertised the position.

Solomon is not denying Bayside needs help, although at this late time he’s not sure the answer is sewers.

“Bayside is in need of attention, whether it’s sewers or some sort of other disposal systems. The cost has to be weighed, citywide, with everybody,” he said.

Ladouceur is concerned for the health and safety of Bayside residents and the prospect of the DEM 2020 deadline, which could have a significant financial impact on homeowners. He said people “need to know” what’s going to happen, and he urged the authority to “press forward.”

Carlo Pisaturo, former Ward 5 councilman and the newest member of the sewer authority, said Wednesday that “it looks like nothing is going to happen [this summer].” He is concerned by the 2020 deadline, but he is also troubled that the directional drilling method will require homeowners to have grinder pumps that they are expected to replace at their cost, whereas other sewer users on gravity systems don’t have that responsibility.

He put the assessment cost to Bayside homeowners at $25,000 to $27,000. “It’s right up there,” he said.

Ladouceur has wrestled with the issue of cost, advocating that the expense of repaving roads after construction be borne by the city and subtracted from the assessment. Regardless, he points out the project would be financed with a revenue bond, meaning the users would pay.

Solomon has reservations.

“I would like to look at the preliminary numbers before we enter into the project. If the preliminary numbers are cost prohibitive, sometimes you have to look for alternatives to reduce that number,” he said.

At a high-end assessment of $30,000, Solomon put the cost of the project at $27 million.

“That means you have to float a bond for $27 million,” he said. “That means debt service has to be paid for $27 million. How much bonding authority do we have overall for the entire city for sewer projects? What is it in relation to other sewer projects in the city?”

What are the facts?

“I spoke to the chairman of the Sewer Authority informally last week – that’s where I’m relying on for my information. Every day is a new adventure in my office. I haven’t really been focusing on Bayside at this point because that’s the Sewer Authority’s agenda. But I am open to listening to their suggestions,” Solomon said.

Calls to SWA chairman Gary Jarvis and Anthony Poole at the authority were not returned.