Detroit could get some local competition when it comes to selling water.
Last week, the Oxford Village Council voted 5-0 to contact the Village of Lake Orion and find out if there’s any interest in the village purchasing water from its neighbor to the north.
‘Currently, we have nobody that’s expressed interest in purchasing water from us,? said Oxford Village President Chris Bishop.
Selling water could be a way for Oxford to finance either the updating and expansion of its existing water treatment plant on S. Glaspie St. or construction of a entirely new facility, which could cost anywhere from $2 million to $4 million depending on the plant’s size, according to Manager Joe Young.
‘If we’re going to spend money on our water plant… we could offset some of that cost to our taxpayers and get more people on board (our system),? said Councilman Tom Benner. ‘I think it’s a good idea myself.?
Oxford’s water treatment plant is more than 30 years old. Its filters and softeners need to be rehabilitated due to age.
Lake Orion is currently supplied by Detroit water (via Orion Township) for which users pay a base charge of $37 every three months (regardless of whether any water is used), then $2.60 for every 100 cubic feet (or 748 gallons) of water actually used.
Oxford Village charges its water customers a minimum of $17.20 per month for the first 2,000 gallons and $3.25 for every 1,000 gallons used after that.
Benner said right now all Oxford is doing is approaching Lake Orion to ‘see if there’s some interest there.?
Given all the details that would have to be worked out in order to make a venture of this magnitude this happen, Benner said, ‘This is something that would take some time to get off the ground.?
Young said the item is likely to appear on the Lake Orion Village Council’s Oct. 22 agenda.