Facts
Science and Lack of
The first reason we hear when GLUA alleges we need a 115 million dollar lake wide sewer is, “the lake is dying”. One needs only to understand that scientific proof of water quality trend is obtained thru rigorous, repeated, accepted, scientific methods for at least 8 years. That is why Michigan EGLE created the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program over 20 years ago. You can go to that data bank and clearly see that Higgins Lake is nowhere near dying, the water quality has actually improved over the last 20 years. One of the tests they use (Secchi Disc for water transparency) has just been accepted as the worldwide standard for testing water clarity.
Near shore, sporadic water quality testing used by GLUA as sewer supportive documentation is completely unreliable as a water quality indicator!! Temperature, weather, time of year, wind direction, sunlight, atmosphere and unknowns are just some of the factors that also affect near shore water quality (www.MichiganLakeInfo.com Water Quality Trends and EGLE CLMP website explanation of testing procedures).
GLUA’s supportive studies meet none of the rigors needed for scientific proof of a hypothesis. However, there is proof, the CLMP data is rigorous proof, but the proof is of NO sewer need! That’s why GLUA would not include CLMP yearly reports in the sewer funding application, and also not on the GLUA website since inception.
The second reason we hear is “I don’t want to drink other people’s pee in my well water, and just because it’s below EPA standards for drinking water quality concerns, it’s still not right!!”.
We at this webpage are not sure how this even got started? Neither a sewer nor a septic ordinance will keep your drinking well water contaminant free, because the well water is part of a huge watershed basin area that includes swamps, streams and lowlands surrounding Higgins Lake! There will almost always be a small percentage of contaminant in well water! There may be individual “bad” wells, and they need to be treated to achieve acceptable EPA standards.
We respect your feelings about what you drink, but if you can’t live with any contaminant level at all, you need a good water filter system instead of a lake shore sewer!! About $400.00 will get you close to 99.99 % (much better than even bottled water), but you still have to live with the .01%.
Bottom line, this is a nonsense support rational for 115 million dollars worth of lake side sewer nonsense! It shouldn’t even be part of a serious sewer need discussion!
Consequences
The proposed sewer project funding is governed by state law. PA 188 is used by each township (Lyon, Gerrish) to enable them to assess (tax) the proposed SAD lot owners. PA 188 has no provision for those lot owners to have any additional input into the project once the 50% threshold is met. Lyon and Gerrish would be free to impose the estimated sewer costs onto the SAD lot owners. Per PA 188 ” If periodic re-determinations of cost will be necessary without a change in the special assessment district, the notice shall state that such redeterminations may be made without further notice to record owners or parties in interest in the property.”
In addition, the townships can increase the annual assessment by up to 10% every year without any input from the lot owners: “If at any time during the term of the special assessment district, an actual incremental cost increase exceeds the estimate therefor by 10% or more, notice shall be given as provided in section 4a and a hearing afforded to the record owners of property to be assessed.”
This was from Ethan Brand
As you can see, if Lyon Township reaches 50.1%, we are all in for a beating!
STEP Stuff
Nov. 5, 2021:
Email sent to David Udy (Chairman of GLUA) regarding concerns of freezing sewer lines in the STEP system as a result of Roscommon frost lines.
Nov. 8, 2021:
GLUA Public Meeting- Presented documentation on the depth of Frostline from the State of Michigan report done by Michigan State University indicating that Higgins Lake has a frost line depth near 6ft. David Udy (Chairman of GLUA) stated at the end of the meeting that the system will not freeze.
Dec. 29, 2021:
Email sent to LARA-BCC-ASD@michigan.gov regarding concerns of the Michigan Plumbing code did not address areas in Michigan that had deeper frost lines than 42 inches and that the sewer line needs to be below the frost line. David Udy was copied.
Received a response from Keith Lambert, PS Director, Bureau of Construction Codes. The response indicated the Michigan Code and indicated that the code allows for local government can adjust the code to fit the conditions of their area. Rule 728, section 305.4.1.
Feb. 7, 2022 Video Taped:
GLUA Presenter Mr. Scott Monroe from SW Barry County – Mr. Monroe indicated that they tried to insulate two STEP systems to prevent them from freezing with 2” sheets of foam which resulted in the pipes breaking and highly recommends that you do not want to use sheets of foam to insulate. Mr. Monroe also said that put tanks in low areas in yards in case they overflow. Safety concerns of children falling through loose or broken lids on septic tanks.
April 18, 2022 Video Taped:
Presented a packet of information to GLUA board members consisting of Multiple Frostline maps for Higgins Lake, North Dakota University study on frozen septic tanks. Purdue University cold temperature study which includes Roscommon. Indemnification for Residents and Headlee Amendment concerns regarding the resident’s electricity that is used to run the STEP pump and control panel.
May 2, 2022, Video Tapped:
Ian Neerken (Engineer with Flies & Vandenbrink Engineering) indicated that Roscommon does have a frost line of 6 ft. and that the sewer pipe will be below the frost line of 6 ft. which is a no-brainer.
Scott Hall (Engineer with Flies & Vandenbrink Engineering) indicated that they do not have any answers regarding the freezing of the 2” sewer pipe leveling the tank. Scott Hall’s response to prevent backflow into the STEP system tanks is to add additional check valves.
I presented a chart of the SW Barry County’s STEP system callouts per year for 2008 – 2020 which shows an average of 10-13% callouts per year for locations near lakes which is a high quantity of system callouts.
May 23, 2022:
I indicated that the STEP system does not meet the Michigan Plumbing Code and would talk to the F&V Engineers after the meeting.
I talked with Ian Neerken ( F&V Engineer) after the meeting and indicated that the STEP system no longer meets the Michigan Plumbing Code since the complete sewer line needs to be under the frost line of 6 ft. which was confirmed by Ian Neerken during the May 2nd meeting. Ian said he does know since they are not in the design stage.
I talked with Scott Hall regarding the check valves which are to protect against backflows into the residents’ STEP system tank. I asked what is the life expectancy of the check valves (that he recommended during the May 2nd meeting) under the harshest system conditions that we would have and Scott Hall indicated that he does not know since they are not in the design stage. I also indicated to him that it does not matter how many check valves he puts into the system they will all wear out around the same time as a set of tires do.
I talked with David Udy (Chairman of GLUA) regarding the freezing of the STEP System and he indicated that Lake City which is about 32 miles southwest of Higgins Lake never had any STEP systems freeze. I requested the contact information for the Lake City STEP system and was given Al Gray’s name and telephone number. Al Gray oversees the Lake City STEP system. I contacted Al Gray on May 23rd and ask the following questions:
- Have you had any freezing issues with the STEP system? Al’s response was: yes we had three freezes this winter which he assumed was the result of no snow on the ground. I asked if he had any freezes bad in 2019 when we had a very cold winter and he indicated Oh Ya!
- I asked how many residents he has on the STEP System and he indicate 300. (We will have 4200-5000).
- I asked what his maximum head pressure is in his STEP System. He indicated 30-35 PSI. (We are 60-70 PSI)
- I asked if he has had any problems with back-flow from residents that are snowbirds that leave for the winter for long periods and he indicated yes.
- To be continued…
This was presented by Dave Kinific at a GLUA meeting in 2022.
What about FLAB?
CLICK HERE to go Higgins Lake Property Owners Association website, Spring 23 newsletter, scroll down to find what that stuff REALLLLLLY is!!!
GLUA Fact Check
What about the black sand?
The Lyon and Gerrish Townships are displaying a jar that contains sediment from the north shore of Higgins Lake. These jars were also on a previous Facebook post that states: “The sand turned black due to sewage contamination. It also smells like sewage”.
This is erroneous and misleading information. As noted in the 1998 Water Quality and Bottom Sediments Study of Higgins Lake (attached) by Water Quality Investigators (the late Dr. Wallace Fusilier), almost all of the bottom sediments they collect are black. “The reason the sediments are black is that little oxygen penetrates them so the decomposition process uses sulfide rather than oxygen, and in the process produces iron sulfide, which is black. This seems to occur at all depths”.
In addition to iron sulfides, the decomposition of organic matter can also generate hydrogen sulfide. And guess what sulfides generate? Sewage-like odors. Have you ever dealt with house gutters that hadn’t been cleaned for several years and were full of rotting and decomposing leaves? You would swear there was a sewer hooked up to the gutters!
To say that your sample turned black because of sewage contamination is another false and misleading statement. Of course, it smells like sewage; that’s what happens when organic matter decomposes under anaerobic conditions. Until you have some scientific basis for concluding that the sand turned black from sewage contamination, I request that you remove this kind of speculation and misinformation from your township offices and Facebook page.
Richard Shoemaker, Senior Environmental Quality Analyst with the DNR’s Surface Water Quality Division and Assistant Cadillac District Supervisor for the Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Bureau.
