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Mid Michigan
Water Authority
The BWL helps form strategic alliance to protect our regional
water supply
In 1995, the Lansing Board of Water
and Light helped found the Mid-Michigan Water Authority, a
regional water supply coordinating entity formed solely to
benefit its member communities.
Members of the Water Authority include Bath
Charter Township, Delta Charter Township, Delhi Charter Township,
Village of Dimondale, City of Grand Ledge, City of Lansing,
Lansing Charter Township, Oneida Charter Township,Village
of Webberville and Windsor Charter Township. The Water Authority's
mission is to provide a cooperative forum for development
of a regional water system for its member communities and
to help them obtain safe, reliable and cost effective water
resources.
MMWA Goals
The Authority's goals are:
- Assure availability of water, based on
a projection of individual community
needs, through the identification of resources and methods
of supply, while
protecting ground water;
- Provide a treated water supply and distribution
system which will interface with local water system through
the development and implementation of an engineered plan;
- Ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking
Water Act and establish a forum for the coordination of
treatment;
- Assist in developing financing resources
and exchanges of water between communities on a cost effective
basis;
- Manage the regional water system development
plan to respond to the changing needs of individual communities;
- Provide information and education to local
communities, state and federal officials and legislators,
and K-12 systems using ongoing communications, public relations
and by providing an open public forum;
- Encourage maximum participation to achieve
economies of scale and preservation of resources.
Fostering Regional Cooperation
In the late 1980's, several public water
supplies in the Tri-County area were in the midst of evaluating
construction or expansion of their water treatment facilities.
One possible alternative included purchasing bulk water from
the BWL, where treatment capacity exceeded the system's projected
needs. In 1988, a drought in the region accentuated the differences
in capabilities between existing public water systems. The
combined set of circumstances led to an open house at Michigan
State University, where community representatives discussed
the feasibility of a cooperative approach to providing public
water supply throughout the region.
Our regional communities acknowledged their mutual dependence
on the Saginaw aquifer. A model for cooperation on groundwater
issues already existed between area communities in the form
of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission Groundwater
Management Board... In 1990, the BWL participated in a Water
Regionalization Task Force along with representatives from
other communities. With the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission
as its fiscal agent the Task Force sought proposals to evaluate
the legal, technical and economic feasibility of a regional
approach to water supply development.
Final conclusion of the studies showed that there is great
advantage in participating as part of a regional authority.
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