By David Fleet
Editor
Groveland Twp.— On June 23, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to appropriate $10 million to help expand sewer capacity to service several Oakland County communities including the Village of Ortonville, Groveland, Brandon and Holly townships.
The project will extend sanitary sewer service from Genesee County to improve capacity in Oakland County communities.
“We are very pleased that the county approved $10 million for the Phase One capacity project,” said Bob DePalma, Groveland Township supervisor. “While there are no plans to expand or provide sewers to our residential districts, this project will improve ground water issues in all four communities and will allow for better quality in Groveland’s Business District on the Dixie Byway.”
The approved funding will support the first phase of the project to establish a drainage district and includes construction of a $33 million sanitary sewer by Genesee County that will provide pipe capacity for Oakland County. Of the funding $10 million will be from Genesee County; $10 million from Oakland County, and $13 million from the communities involved.
“The goal is to have the funding amortized from the sewer hookup fees,” said DePalma. “The businesses who use the sewer will ultimately fund the project.”
At a cost of $49 million, Phase Two of the project will involve the construction of a sewer extension along Dixie Highway and Perryville Road east. Phase Three will cost $59 million and include Brandon Township and Ortonville.
Construction for Phase One is expected to begin in 2023.
Ryan Madis, Ortonville Village manager is optimistic the project will move forward.
“We’re working to put a man-on-the-the moon and we are now in orbit,” said Madis. “The county capacity expansion is a huge step forward, but the completion is still a ways out.”
Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin provided critical assistance and attended one of the meetings, pushing the vote over the edge, said Madis
“The funding provides the sewer capacity to make it possible,” he added. “Right now it’s in the engineering stage and we now have a drainage district. We’ll soon have better numbers following the study.”
The program is a partnership between the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner, Genesee County, the Village of Ortonville and the Townships of Holly, Groveland and Brandon. In addition, the project has received the support of Oakland County administration, Board leadership and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-8th District.)