Ortonville- Officials may have another option in their quest for sewers for the village.
The Genesee County Division of Water and Waste Services will meet with local Oakland County representatives at 10 a.m., April 19, at the Brandon Township offices, 395 Mill St., to discuss the Kearsley Creek interceptor. The meeting is open to the public.
‘The meeting is to discuss interest in a sanitary sewer interceptor,? said Jeff Wright, Genessee County Drain Commissioner. ‘To see if there is enough interest or concern to build one between the two counties.?
The interceptor is a large underground pipe that collects wastewater and takes it to a treatment plant, as opposed to septic fields, Wright explained.
Besides Ortonville, representatives from the village of Goodrich as well as Brandon, Grand Blanc, Davison, and Atlas townships were invited to the meeting.
Wright says the first goal of the meeting is to determine who is interested in participating.
‘All the communities invited have some need for future sewer service,? he said. ‘We already have failed septic systems throughout that area of the state. Failed septics in Ortonville have the potential for ground and surface water contamination in Genessee County… We’re trying to improve the environment.?
Wright suggests that if multiple communities participate, the cost could be lower for all to have sewers.
A similar offer was presented by Genessee County in 2002, and although Brandon Township and Ortonville were interested, Atlas Township and Davison were not and the lack of participation failed to move it forward.
Paul Amman, Atlas Township supervisor, explains that the cost of that plan was prohibitive? more than $20 million for design and construction.
‘Sewers are not a cost effective measure for Atlas right now,? he says. ‘But I will keep an open mind and see what they have to say.?
The cost for design would be covered this time by a $1.4 million grant from the Army Corps of Engineers, says John O? Brien, director of the Division of Water and Waste Services for Genessee County.
Both the east and west branches of Kearsley Creek will be discussed as options for the interceptor at the meeting. The east branch goes to Brandon Township and Ortonville and the west branch goes to Grand Blanc, Groveland Township and Holly. There may be enough money to do a design for both branches, but O’Brien wants to see which has greater support.
All communities do not need to be participants in order for the plan to move forward. If Atlas Township were not interested in tying into the system, Genessee County officials could go across the township to get to Ortonville and Brandon Township, with use of their right-of-way, which the county has contracted for.
‘I’m interested in any options they have to offer regarding solid waste treatment for the village and a limited portion of the township, including the M-15 corridor which includes Bald Eagle and Lake Louise,? said Brandon Township Supervisor Ron Lapp.
Ortonville has two advantages if they hook into the Genessee County sewer system, says O’Brien. They won’t have to build their own treatment plant and then bear the cost of running it.
‘It would be nice to not have to build a plant, but on the other hand, costs have been explored in the past and have been prohibitive,? says Village Manager Ed Coy. ‘This is the latest. We’re holding our breath waiting for the results from the subcommittee that is studying the purchase of land. A lot of things are still up in the air.?
A subcommittee was formed following a public hearing March 6 to study the possible purchase by Brandon Township of two pieces of land on M-15, both of which a wastewater treatment plant could be built on.
O’Brien notes that the Genessee County treatment plant discharges into the Flint River, whereas a treatment plant built in Ortonville would discharge into Kearsley Creek. Because the county uses the Flint River, they have a larger discharge limit than Ortonville would have using the creek.
If Ortonville residents tied into the system, they would pay the $12 a month cost that Genessee County residents who use the system pay. Village residents would also bear a capital or bond cost, O’Brien says.
Genessee County residents would benefit from other communities tying into the sewer system, too, because with new customers sharing the cost, their rates would remain the same even with inflation.
‘My gut feeling is we will meet and everyone will say we’re interested, but need numbers,? says O’Brien. ‘We’ll begin the design process and work to see if we can come up with an agreement for building the sewer after it’s designed… To design a project this size, takes 12-18 months. Building it would take another 24 months… Ultimately, a sewer will get built, the question is when.?