Notes from Macomb County, KWA, GLWA

Macomb -- U.S. Representative Candice Miller, who is leaving Congress, has announced that she will run for election as Macomb County (Michigan) public works commissioner.

Karegnondi Water Authority pipe installation

“The upcoming campaign, between Miller and longtime Democratic incumbent Anthony Marrocco, a powerful force in Macomb County politics, shapes up as one of the oddest, most intriguing 2016 races in Michigan,” wrote Chad Selweski this week in Bridge Magazine.

“The public works commissioner oversees sewer systems, drain construction and maintenance, soil erosion and pollution controls, and anti-flooding measures. Whoever holds this office has the power to halt, or approve, residential subdivision planning and layout.”

“Annual overflows at the sewer facilities fluctuate with summertime precipitation, but during Marrocco’s 24-year tenure they have remained mostly at or above 200 million gallons of human waste discharged each year, including a recent summer, in 2011, in which 1.7 billion gallons were dumped into [Lake St. Clair].”

http://bridgemi.com/2016/05/why-on-earth-is-candice-miller-running-for-county-drain-commissioner/

KWA -- Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright says the Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA) has completed about 95% of the 80 mile fresh water pipeline from Lake Huron to Genesee County on schedule and under budget. Completion is expected in a few weeks.

Genesee County has been paying nearly 12% of the Detroit water authority’s total budget, although the county represents less than 2% of the total population served via Detroit.

A related but separate project, a county water treatment plant, is expected to be completed in a year.

Bill Petzold wrote about the KWA project in the Burton View on May 5, 2016:

http://burtonview.mihomepaper.com/news/2016-05-05/News/Karegnondi_project_on_schedule_under_budget.html

GLWA -- The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), which provides potable water, wastewater and stormwater services in the Detroit metropolitan area, announced recently that Freman Hendrix has been appointed to the GLWA board, the City of Detroit’s second representative, joining Gary Brown. Hendrix had been former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer’s chief of staff and deputy mayor. Hendrix succeeds Ike McKinnon, who retired.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/05/04/freman-hendrix-named-regional-water-authority-board/83940252/

What is KWA?

The Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA) is the pet project of Jeff Wright, the Genesee County Water Resources Commissioner.  “Karegnondi” is a Petan (Wyandot) Indian word meaning “big lake,”  associated especially with Lake Huron, the source of KWA’s water.  

The Authority is intended to provide potable water to communities in Genesee County and points eastward in Lapeer and Sanilac counties, along the pipeline from Lake Huron.  It was created to replace service from the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department (DWSD) in those counties. 

Wright and other promoters expect savings to residents and businesses in the service area to be significant, encouraging economic growth.

Construction of the water intake facility on Lake Huron just began.  The intake contractor is  L. D'Agostini & Sons Inc.

The entire project is scheduled to be completed in 2016.  In the meantime, water will be drawn from the Flint River and treated or purchased from DWSD.