In 2019 the Marshall County Health Department created a Water Task Force and hired Rafinski, Jones & Petrie to study the county looking for areas that needed a better solution for wastewater to protect well water and the lakes. The engineers looked at areas in the county where there were multiple septic systems in close proximity such as rural trailer parks, around the lakes and where residential lots are too small for a second system or repair.
After nearly two years, and a pandemic, Ken Jones presented the County Commissioners with the study earlier this year. He told them they had determined 15 priority service areas (PSA’a) in the county that should be considered. Those 15 areas totaled 2,592 dwelling units with 68 percent of septic systems being undocumented.
During the last several County Commissioner meetings, folks from Tyner and Teegarden have attended and voiced their opposition to the idea of any type of Regional Sewer Development.
Mrs. Sharon Leathers, who lives on Sycamore Road with a Walkerton address has questioned County Commissioner Kevin Overmyer more than once about Burr Oak which was initially on the priority list in the county minutes but the next time Burr Oak was not includes in the minutes, seeming to indicate that he had it pulled from the first project.
WTCA thought it would be good for everyone in Marshall County to know the 15 sites determined by the engineering firm to be problem areas in the county. The 15 Priority Service Areas (PSA’s) in no particular order are:
- Teegarden
- Tyner
- North Michigan Road north of Plymouth
- Rushmoor Addition, the residential subdivision at Woodbury Golf Course
- Donaldson
- McQueens Addition with Broadview Park
- Golfview Estates by Pretty Lake
- Tall Oaks, Deer Trail and Carriage Hills
- South Michigan area south of Plymouth including the entire Oak Crest subdivision and the residential areas on the eastside of the road including Woodland Manor Subdivision and the Forest Hills subdivision
- Inwood
- Lake Latonka, Mill Pond and Lawrence Lake
- Burr Oak
- Hawk Lake south of Culver at Lake Maxincukee
- State Road 331 South at Tippecanoe and the
- Rural area east and south of Bremen including Donnybrook Huffs Frontier.
Engineer Ken Jones discussed the next steps in creating a regional sewer district in Marshall County. Preparing the district formation petition is first, completing the preliminary engineering report (PER) which is in progress, conducting a public hearing, notification to existing municipal entities, presenting the petition for the County Commissioners and Council to sign and submission to IDEM for consideration.
Jones told the County Commissioners he would anticipate spring or early summer of 2022 for the formation of the Regional Sewer District.
