A motion to “move forward” with planning for a nonpermanent connection that would allow the Oxford Township and Village water systems to back each other up in emergency situations was unanimously approved by council Sept. 23.
The connection would be located at the northern township-village border on M-24 and consist of two separate gate valves – one on a village water main and the other on a township main – which would remain locked and physically separated at all times, except when needed in a mutually recognized emergency.
“It wouldn’t be connected all the time, only in emergencies,” said Ron Finley, a representative from the Oakland County Drain Commission, who spoke before the council.
Each municipality would have a key to only their locked gate valve, so neither party could activate the connection without the other knowing.
The two gate valves would be located in a vault buried underground for added security.
Should an emergency situation arise where either community’s water system fails or is shut down and one agrees to provide water to the other, a spool (a length of pipe) would be placed and secured between the two gate valves, both of which would then be opened with approval from each community, thus connecting the two systems and allowing water to flow freely between them.
“We feel that out here the village could benefit from it,” Finley said.
Finley told village officials having an emergency connection between two communities’ water systems is a “normal operation” that’s currently in existence in approximately nine other county communities such as Commerce Township and West Bloomfield, West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills, and Southfield and Farmington Hills.
There even exists an emergency connection between Commerce Township and Huron Valley Hospital, which utilizes a moveable spool, he noted.
“It is a common practice,” Finley said of intercommunity emergency connections. “This is something that is a standard practice.”
Finley said to his knowledge there’s not been any problems with any of the emergency connections and none have ever been opened without both municipalities being aware of it.
Ensuring water is available to both communities for fire suppression would be theprimary purpose of this emergency-only connection, Finley said.
Finley noted that one house fire can eat up 30,000 to 40,000 gallons of water in about 20 minutes, so relying on tanker trucks is not enough.
“By the time you’re going to tank everything in, who knows what could happen?,” he said.
Finley addressed council’s previously stated fears about the possibility of mixing treated (village) and untreated (township) water.
“It is treated water now,” he said of the township’s supply, “so you’re not dealing with treated and untreated water.”
“We are adding chlorine to the township water and the township is also going through the process of” building a water treatment plant, Finley explained.
Oxford Village Water Superintendent Jim Smith told council he has “no problem” with installing a double gate valve and spool between the two systems.
“It is not a permanent, physical connection, it’s something that in case of emergency, we can hook up and supply fire suppression to the township and the village,” he said.
“It’s probably the easiest, cheapest way to do it,” Smith added. “It would benefit both the township and the village.”
Smith agreed with Finley that the main reason for an emergency connection would be to ensure there’s enough water available for fire suppression.
“We couldn’t haul enough water in if we had a fire,” he said.