By Jim Pruitt
Sylvan Township’s water system has several deficiencies that need to be addressed to be in compliance with state standards.
Time is of the essence as the deadline is Jan. 1, 2016, and Water and Sewer Authority Treasurer Mike Jurosek informed the Board of Trustees Nov. 2 of the situation.
There are some areas the township has been found to be deficient due to changes in reporting and requirements. Act 399 requires the townships with a fire protection system need to have a general plan for its water system. This includes a hydraulic analysis of the distribution system, an inventory of water mains (by material, age and size) and maps of current and future service areas.
The township has to develop a plan to eliminate all cross connections and submit it to the DEQ . The work has to be performed by a company that is approved to inspect cross connections for commercial and residential areas, he said.
The township also has to conduct a reliability plan, something it has never done, Jurosek said.
“We need a 5- and 20-year plan for a capital improvement plan for a water system and that is due by Jan. 1,” Jurosek said. “I thought small water systems are going to be deferred until 2018. Those are the areas of deficiencies we need to address immediately.”
The state also has recommendations for operations including emergency connections with the City of Chelsea and an emergency response plan.
Jurosek recommended the board have Midwest Consulting to begin the hydraulic mapping and be prepared to spend some extra money to get the maps into report form and hire additional engineering firms to meet the deadlines.
“It’s going to be a lot of work,” Jurosek said.
The township is digging itself out of a hole because Jurosek has not found any of the required reports and said the township erred when it allowed developers to build water systems for residential complexes and then turn them over to the township. This meant the township did not require the developers to meet certain standards.
In related news, Jurosek talked about a meeting with a Grand Rapids-based engineering firm to discuss the township shutting down its water system. The firm should have a proposal ready by Dec. 1.
(If you’d like to contact Jim Pruitt, email him at [email protected].)
