Port Huron Water Filtration Plant Tour Wows Community Members
Water is a pretty big deal around here and Port Huron’s water filtration plant is a very big deal. A tour of the plant brought the inner workings of the massive plant, located near Pine Grove Park, to local officials and interested citizens.
The water filtration plant takes water right out of the St. Clair River and turns it into clean drinking water that goes to up to 60,000 customers, including homes, businesses, and industries. Right now, the plant treats around 8 million gallons of water per day, but it has the capacity to treat 30 million gallons if needed.
The plant, built in 1966, is in a constant state of maintenance and monitoring to continue to treat and pump fresh, clean water to Port Huron and the surrounding townships 24 hours a day. Steps have been taken recently to increase security at the plant.
The operators of the facility hold high-skill jobs and the City of Port Huron is actively recruiting to fill future vacancies at the plant. The jobs are high-paying and require extensive certification and training.
Port Huron City Council Member Anita Ashford remarked on the complexity of the water plant, saying, “We want the best with no shortcuts. We are stewards of the water for a lot of people.”
Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland
Port Huron’s Wastewater Treatment Plant Provides Critical Infrastructure for Region
Along with a tour of the water filtration plant, community members were given a look at Port Huron’s Wastewater Treatment Plant last week. It is safe to say that those in attendance were in awe of the extensive effort that goes into taking wastewater from the City and surrounding townships and making it clean enough to safely send back into the St. Clair River.
Dianna Siefert, Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent, has worked at the plant for over 21 years and gave a fascinating presentation to community members who have a stake in the stewardship of the river as well as the local economy that depends on the vital service.
Siefert explained the innovative process that Port Huron uses to collect biosolids from the wastewater and send them out to over 150 farmers to fertilize their fields. It is the biggest recycling program in St. Clair County. She also gave a tour of the facility, which is getting some expensive, yet vital, upgrades.
The plant is massive and can handle up to 20 million gallons of wastewater per day. It usually handles 9.5 million gallons. The plant operates 24 hours per day, 365 days a year with an operating budget of approximately $5 million each year.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
Port Huron to Get 1000 New Trees over Decade
Port Huron is about to get a fresh stock of new trees.
September’s rough weather took out some trees in Port Huron, but it could have been a lot worse, according to Port Huron City Manager James Freed. The city has been removing dead and diseased trees throughout the city for several years to reduce the danger of falling limbs and trees. Freed credited the Forestry Division with spearheading the effort to clean up the trees that needed to go.
Now it’s time to plant some new trees to replace the ones that have been removed. Freed said that he asked the Forestry Department to draft a plan for planting 100 new trees each year for the next ten years.
The city plans to work with the MSU Extension and an arborist to put the right trees in the right places. The plan will replace trees that have been removed as well as strategically placing trees in boulevards and city parks. The south side of Port Huron will get special attention as it has recently lost a lot of old trees.
Freed called the investment in 1000 trees over the next decade “generational” as it will ensure that Port Huron maintains its tree canopy for years to come.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
Bridge Cards to Get Permanent Increase to Pay for Healthy Food
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has announced that those who receive food benefits will get a permanent increase in the monthly payment. The increase is a jump of about 6.8%. The increase is meant to make a healthy diet more affordable for beneficiaries.
A larger than normal benefit increase from federal funding saw some food benefits go up 15% over the past year, but those temporary benefits will expire this month. The permanent increase will start with the October loading of Bridge cards. The maximum benefit for a family of four will go from $782 to $835.
The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, is administered by MDHHS. Michigan recipients use Bridge cards to spend their benefits. This year, the program was increased greater than the cost-of-living rate because the benefits were not keeping up with the increases in the cost of a healthy diet.
No action is needed to be taken by recipients to get the increased amount. More than 1.25 million Michiganders get their nutrition at least in part from SNAP.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
Deer with EHD Found in Wales Township
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking for help from the public in finding deer that could be affected by Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD. After a deer that had died from the disease was found in Wales Township in St. Clair County, the DNR is on alert for EHD. Over 14,000 deer were taken out by the disease in 2012.
EHD is circulating in the area, with cases found in St. Clair, Oakland, Macomb, and Shiawassee counties. Reports have been coming in of 150 likely cases, while six have been confirmed so far.
Biting flies are the culprit for transmitting EHD. The DNR says that there is no evidence that humans can contract the disease.
Deer with a severe infection of EHD lose their fear of humans, lose their appetite, and may seek bodies of water to try to lower their body temperatures.
Tom Cooley, DNR wildlife pathologist said, “We are asking for hunters to look around as they hit the field this fall to let us know if they find dead deer, especially any near water.”
Anyone who discovers dead deer should report it through the DNR’s Eyes in the Field reporting form or call the closest DNR Customer Service Center.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland