Infrastructure Solutions Through Community Feedbacks
Our community needs assessment helps identify sewer system challenges affecting northern Michigan residents. By gathering data and resident input, Melrose Township gains insight into local priorities and experiences. This collaborative process supports informed planning and ensures infrastructure improvements align with real community needs and long-term township goals.
Walloon Lake Sewer System
Where Are We Now?
WWTP Expansion and Increased Capacity
Melrose Township is expanding its existing Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) system to provide additional capacity, up to 50,000 gallons per day (gpd). With this project, there will be a new service area included in the system at the east end of M-75N to the US-131 intersection, and all of the properties fronting the existing sewer piping will be connected to the municipal sewer. These properties were previously not required to connect because the capacity of the sewer system was limited to 20,000 [SB1] gallons per day maximum.
The Township’s sewer system went into effect in 2017, and since that time had three expansions of service area piping in the eight years of operation. This is primarily due to demand driven by individual residents or small groups of residents who experienced failures of their existing onsite septic systems. This situation is all too common, and the Township currently has requests from additional residents for access to the sewer. The primary reasons cited are residents seeking the following relief:
- Small lots that cannot meet the standards of the Sanitary Code are unable to redevelop without restriction from the Health Department.
- Historic septic systems that have been “grandfathered” will be able to eliminate a sewage discharge in close proximity to Walloon Lake.
- Homeowners do not want the cost and responsibility for their own drain field.
- The cost of the Township sewer connection is typically less than the cost of a replacement drain field today, making it an economical advantage to replace the existing septic field. Many of the properties have difficult situations for onsite septic and have mounded fields or advanced treatment system requirements, which can reach $40,000 to $60,000 construction cost, which far exceeds the Township sewer connection cost.
With the expanded capacity, the existing sewer system will become available to all the existing properties that front on both the existing piping and the new service area. This will result in mandatory connection of properties to the municipal sewer system, per the Public Health Code and the local Sanitary Code. The Township is sensitive to the financial implications of this for the residents fronting on the sewer system; however, the Township also must weigh this financial cost against the overall benefit to the community. The sewer has been installed primarily along the Walloon Lake shoreline and commercial properties in an environmentally sensitive area that is generally not conducive to on-site septic systems.
Therefore, the Township is seeking support from stakeholders in the area to promote the benefits of the municipal sewer system. The elimination of onsite septic discharges in the sewer district benefits the environment and the community at large, maintaining the quality of Walloon Lake and the surrounding areas. If you have any questions about the project, please contact us for further information.