Nottawa sewer project reaches easement stage

A sanitary sewer project in Isabella County has reached the easement acquisition stage, and county commissioners are expected today to approve an agreement that will give workers access to Coldwater Lake Family Park.

Work on the project in Beal City has been completed, and as it moves to the phase at Coldwater Lake, Nottawa Township needs access to the park to install sewer mains and grinder stations within the street rights-of-way, Isabella County Interim Parks and Recreation Director Miranda Walker said in a report to County Administrator Nicole Frost and other county officials.

A proposal to approve the easement agreement is on the county commission agenda for Tuesday night's meeting at 7 p.m. at the Isabella County Commission on Aging.

When completed, the sewer project will bring a sewage connection to the park, which will eventually allow for the county to provide "full hookup" with water, electric and sewer at each campsite, Walker said.

Approved for American Rescue Plan funding by commissioners, the project will involve construction, testing, inspection, maintenance and repairs of the public sewer system on Coldwater Lake Family Park property, and will allow for the construction and connection to a publicly owned sanitary sewer system to be operated by Nottawa Township, Walker said.

Intended to reduce the amount of sewage run-off into Wagner Creek, which links to the Chippewa River's main branch downstream from Meridian Park, the project came about after the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality ordered the township to build a sewer.

Runoff from Beal City properties is believed to be the cause of the annual high levels of E. Coli in the river.

Work is expected to begin next spring and is anticipated to take two construction seasons to complete.

The sewer system flows east from Beal and eventually south into Mt. Pleasant.

Work on the Mt. Pleasant's end has already been completed and the city is ready to accept the wastewater. Mt. Pleasant's sewage treatment plant has excess capacity to handle the new sewage line.

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