By David Fleet
Editor
Atlas Twp. — On Monday night the township board of trustees voted 4-0 to OK $7,469 for Consumers Energy to complete the installation of the electrical for a well near State Road and Linda Kay Drive. Township Clerk Katie Vick was absent with notice.
“We can’t go any further with the project until we get new (electrical) service to the pump,” said Fire Chief Steve Bullen.
In 2020 the township board of trustees moved forward with six new wells to supply water for the township fire department. The cost of each well is about $30,000.
“Our goal is that every resident be within two miles of the water supply,” said Bullen. “We are moving toward water supplies for fires with electric pumps, rather than the dry hydrant which requires a fire truck with a pump to load.”
Well water is much cleaner than pumping from a pond and loads more efficiently, he added. Water from a pond or creek pumps slowly and ties up a truck.
In addition to the Atlas Township Fire Hall, Clarence Street, downtown Goodrich there are currently three water sources with electric pumps: Streamside Lane and Hill Road, covering the north side of the township; Hawthorn Circle and M-15 north of Hegel Road and the Atlas Township Hall, Gale Road.
A Brandon Township well is located at Bedrock Express, 1290 N. Ortonville Road just north of the Oakland County line and is used by Atlas Township Fire Department when needed.
Fire officials are now considering a southwest location near Baldwin and Gale roads, and northwest near Irish and Jordan roads.
The new five-inch wells will pump about 300-400 gallons per minute and be just like a big garden hose, said Bullen.
“This should lower our ISO too,” he added.
The area ISO fire score is a rating that determines how well local fire departments can protect communities and homes. Insurance companies use the score to help set home insurance rates.