GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. – While enforcement of sewer hookup requirements was not on the agenda of a Monday night's meeting of the Georgetown Township Board, several residents brought it up anyway.
"I just get by every month, and now I have to try to get more money, put on a home equity loan to pay for this -- a very big hardship," Randi Meyer told the board.
The board last May voted to begin enforcing sewer hookup requirements that have been in place since the 70s. Some residents say it will cost them as much at $20,000.
"I would just like you guys to consider going back to having a connection be made to sanitary sewer when we sell our homes," Meyer said.
Board trustee Jason Minier told FOX 17 he understands previous boards didn't do anything because of the hardships people will face, but he said the waterways can't afford for the board to put this off.
"One of my concerns now is that we already have a number of our waterways contaminated," he said. Township lakes such as Maplewood Lake are becoming contaminated, some with E. coli.
The Georgetown Township Board voted May 8 to require home and business owners within 200 feet of a sewer system to connect within 18 months. Until now, that law has not been enforced in the township.
Minier expressed concern that waiting 18 months for hookups could lead to pollution problems that could take five to 10 years to clean up.
Meyer asked the board to consider extending the timeframe to three to five years.
The township says residents are being offered finance plans.
