Brevort Township's Sewer Threat Averted
By Paul Gingras

A threat to Brevort Lake and the Brevort Township sewer system has been averted, and sewer odor problems that have plagued the area around the sewer's lift station for years are unlikely to return, reported Rob Frazier of Maverick Construction at a meeting of the Brevort Township Board of Trustees Tuesday, July 3.

Last month, Maverick constructed a piping system to bypass the wet well at the lift station on Brevort Lake, while workers made emergency repairs to a damaged discharge pipe.

The lake was in danger of contamination, said Ron Peterka, who helps maintain the sewer system for the township.

The leaking discharge pipe could also have destroyed parts of the sewer system, Mr. Frazier said, and created $100,000 worth of damage.

The bypass allowed the sewer to remain operational while the work took place. The new mechanism will allow future repairs to be made more easily, Mr. Frazier explained.

Inside the wet well, workers discovered rotten bolts destroyed by years of sewer-gas build-up. Before the job was finished, they power washed the wet well and resealed it, helping to ensure that no further odors emanate from the lift station.

It had been seven years since the lift station worked properly, Mr. Frazier said, noting that a bypass system should have been included in its original design. Odors emanating from the lift station led to years of complaints by area residents and multiple attempts by the municipal government to correct the problem.

Maverick's bill was $19,736.88, which the township paid with revenue from the its sewer depreciation fund. The fund was set up precisely for this purpose, noted Township Supervisor Ed Serwach.

It was "a pretty big job," but the work went well, Mr. Frazier told the board and the public. The job took six men and eight days to complete.

Operators continue to use the bypass. Mr. Peterka and Hank Michaels are monitoring it to ensure that using the mechanism does not strain other parts of the sewer system. The township plans to keep the bypass operating until Labor Day, at which time operators will turn the lift station back on for the winter.

There have not been any odor problems at the lift station since the job was completed, Clerk Susan Stelzer said.

Mr. Serwach authorized Mr. Frazier to install a specialized valve that will reduce the possibility of sewer gas leakage.

In other business, Brevort Township has won a lawsuit with DEM Architects of Gaylord, which sued the township over its refusal to pay a $2,500 bill for architectural designs and estimates the company produced for a new fire hall last winter.

The company did the work without a signed contract, Mr. Serwach said, adding that such projects must go out for bids. The township offered the company $500 for its trouble, he said.

In response, DEM took the township to small claims court and demanded $3,000 Tuesday, July 10. Mr. Serwach represented the township before Judge Beth Gibson, who ruled that companies must have signed agreements to do work for municipal governments, Mr. Serwach said. She did not require the township to compensate DEM.

No action was taken by the board in response to a request by area residents for the township to investigate what appears to be premature deterioration on parts of Black Point Road. Mr. Serwach said he believes the township's five-year road plan includes future work on Black Point.

The planning commission is studying a request by Jake and Mary Weiss to convert a portion of their farm on Wartella Road into a used car lot, Mr. Serwach informed the board and public. The Weiss' have applied for a used-car dealer's license through the township.

The plan would require a zoning change from residential to commercial. The board will make a decision at the Tuesday, August 7, meeting, after it receives the planning commission's recommendation.

The board directed its road committee to examine an estimate by the Mackinac County Road Commission for approximately $7,000 worth of culverts to be installed on East Lake Road. The committee planned to see if the culverts are needed, Mr. Serwach said.

Committee members felt the estimate was high. At the July 3 meeting, Mr. Frazier of Maverick said the price appeared to be fair.

Township residents complained that dust control chemicals are being applied shortly before roads are bladed, rendering the treatment useless.

No action was taken when Township Treasurer Daniel Litzner suggested a second application be made, owing to an exceptionally dry year that has produced a great deal of dust on area roads.