By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LIBERTY TWP. - In this township where spacious, pricey homes are becoming the norm, a handful of residents still use outhouses.

But Butler County plans to flush that vestige of Liberty Township's rural roots in the Country Club Highlands subdivision. The county expects to begin the $711,500 project, to serve 70 homes, within weeks and complete it by April.

The subdivision, off Ohio 4 near Liberty-Fairfield Road, has 15 to 20 homes, some dating to the 1940s, with no indoor toilets. Most residents have septic systems. But some still use the outhouses in a township that recorded a 147 percent growth rate in the 1990s fueled by new subdivisions with homes selling in excess of $200,000.

At a public hearing Monday in Hamilton, several longtime residents expressed joy.

"I'm very happy," said Lucille Roark, whose house has a septic system. "It's a disgrace that we live in a subdivision that has outdoor toilets. It's really a health hazard."

Until recently, many residents in the subdivision opposed the sewer project because of the cost. But by obtaining grants and other financial assistance, the Butler County Department of Environmental Services has whittled the average cost to the homeowner from $9,700 to $4,990, said Tony Parrott, environmental services director.

John Hamblin, 24, said he and his parents used their outhouse for a few years before buying a septic system. "It's going to be welcome," he said.

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E-mail skemme@enquirer.com