 Greetings from the Commissioner
In this summer issue of the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner's E-Newsletter, we celebrate the excellent work our staff members do collaboratively with community partners and our contractor friends by highlighting exciting projects. Our staff members had major roles in projects that will achieve great things for our stakeholders in the region going forward.
Enjoy the summer and stay safe.
Jim Nash
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Initiative to Save Oakland County Communities
$3.8 million Annually
Sixteen projects, programs, and initiatives involving more than 20 Michigan communities are vying for the statewide Community Excellence Award (CEA)—the most prestigious Michigan Municipal League honor. Our office played a major role in one of the projects, known as NOCWA.
North Oakland County Water Authority (NOCWA) is a regional water authority comprised of Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills, Orion Township, Pontiac, and the WRC as Pontiac's water system owner and operator. NOCWA was created out of collective concern regarding system reliability, decreased water pressure, rising Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) water supplier rates, and overall operating expenses. The NOCWA operations plan relies on effective operation of Pontiac’s oversized storage tanks during peak water use periods – when residents use the most use water. Draw from DWSD is reduced during morning and evening peaks by monitoring overall NOCWA demand and supplementing resident demand via the storage facilities through a coordinated process. Results include increased water pressure, reduced energy costs, and $3.8 million annual savings. This win-win partnership illustrates the power of working together to achieve results otherwise unattainable if not for the innovative, collaborative efforts of these communities. Oakland County is in the running for a MML Community Excellence Award for its major role in helping to form NOCWA.
To vote online for this project, click on this link:
http://cea.mml.org/?post_type=cea&p=400
To read more about the MML Community Excellence Award, see the article in the sidebar on the right - Cities Competing for MML Awards.
 OMID Ground Breaking in June
On June 2, 2015 officials from Oakland and Macomb counties, the State of Michigan, and contractors including NTH, attended the groundbreaking ceremony held at Riverbends Park in Shelby Township for the Oakland-Macomb Interceptor Drain (OMID) Contract 5 and 6 projects. The OMID is a large interceptor sewer, approximately 20 miles in length that serves over 830,000 residents of Macomb and Oakland counties.
This huge multi-year project began in August 2004 when a developing sinkhole was encountered at the intersection of Fontana Drive and 15 Mile Road in the City of Sterling Heights over the Romeo Arm of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department’s (DWSD) Oakland Macomb Interceptor System (OMIS). As the emergency repair work continued to restore the affected roads and subsurface infrastructure, inspections revealed poor conditions that put the area at risk for future sinkholes and related problems.The OMID Drainage District then undertook a $170 million, seven year repair program to be implemented under six separate contracts.
Said Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash: "This final piece of the seven year project demonstrates our commitment to building and maintaining the infrastructure necessary to protect the public and our customers in the region and allows for future growth for all the affected communities."
Sustaining Michigan's Water Heritage
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality,
Office of the Great Lakes, has released the first draft for
"Sustaining Michigan's Water Heritage." The plan focuses on
Michigan's future environment and provides the initial plans and actions needed
in order to ensure "Michigan's water
resources support a healthy environment, healthy citizens, vibrant communities
and sustainable economies.”
Michigan’s Water Strategy outlines a 30-year vision shaped by a desire for high-quality and accessible water resources. It outlines nine strategic goals set forth in chapters: (1) Protect and Restore Aquatic Ecosystems, (2) Ensure Clean and Safe Waters, (3) Create Vibrant Waterfronts, (4) Support Water-Based Recreation, (5) Promote Water-Based Economies, (6) Invest in Water Infrastructure, (7) Monitor Water Quality, (8) Build Governance Tools, and (9) Inspire Stewardship for Clean Water. These nine goals detail 62 recommendations (and 22 key priority recommendations) that are a set of interconnected ideas to drive a new relationship between Michigan’s communities, governments, and residents to solve complex water challenges and create greater opportunities for economic and social well-being.
For the full draft report click on the link below:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/deq-ogl-Draft_Water_Strategy_and_Appendices__06-04-2015_491266_7.pdf
Art, Fish, Fun Festival 2015
Our second annual Pure Oakland Water Art, Fish, Fun Festival at Beaudette park in Pontiac was a huge success, as evidenced by these smiling faces.
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