Whiteford gets $2M Grant, Water treatment facility could see upgrades with federal dollars

By DOUG DONNELLY

Advance Editor

OTTAWA LAKE – The six-year-old Whiteford Township Water Treatment plant is in line for $2 million in upgrades due to legislation signed by President Trump late last month.

"It's for upgrades to our water plant," Whiteford Township Supervisor Jeff Thomas said. "It could be a water tower for more water storage. We have someone coming in to give us recommendations. We want to make things easier with our system."

Whiteford opened its water treatment facility in 2019 after decades of trying a variety of ways to bring water to some township residents. The plant, located at 7841 Beck Rd., includes two wells that are filtered and treated inside the plant.

The funding was included in a package of appropriation bills that passed the house Jan. 8, the senate Jan. 15 and was signed into law by President Trump Jan. 23, said Molly Makarewicz, communications director for Congressman Tim Walberg.

According to the bill, the funding would be used to provide potable water to numerous residences and existing businesses and add equipment to increase capacity and redundancy to the existing water system.

"Whiteford Township (will) receive funds to make critical improvements to the township's water filtration system to improve reliability and protect the public health and safety of its residents," Walberg said in a statement. "I was proud to vote in support of and see the House pass legislation which will provide funding for numerous community projects within Michigan's 5th Congressional District. Over the past year, I have been working with community leaders to identify and secure federal funding for needs across the district."

Thomas said once the funding is secured, the township will zero in on how the money will be used.

Tim Hill, the township's water plant operator, said he would like to see a bigger building to perhaps expand the lab and water storage.

"In the summer, we are running 90,000 to 120,000 gallons of water a day," he said. "We are making it as fast as we can. The max is about 140,000 gallons coming into the plant and going out (in a day)."

There currently 128 residents and 24 commercial properties on the system. Whiteford Agricultural Schools, Home City Ice and the Pilot gas station are the biggest customers.

"When we built this, we didn't expect to grow this much," Hill said.

In a perfect world, he said, the lab would be expanded and the building made larger so storage tanks and other equipment was not cramped into one room.

"These are minor things, but they will help us be more efficient," he said.

There is no immediate timetable for the township to move ahead with the project, Thomas said, but the township has had discussions with the Michigan Rural Water Association about an asset management plan and capital improvement plan.