By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


Area residents with concerns and questions about their water quality will be able to take part in an online and interactive event coming up next week.

Four water resource representatives from Oakland, Livingston, and Washtenaw Counties and South Lyon will join forces for a Water Roundtable to answer questions about your water. It will be held on Wednesday, September 16th at 7pm and hosted by the Salem-South Lyon District Library and the South Lyon Community Television.

Among the panelists will be Douglas Varney, Director of the Department of Public Works and Utilities for the City of South Lyon, Jim Nash, Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner, Evan N. Pratt, P.E., Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner and Livingston County Drain Commissioner Brian Jonckheere.

Panelists will address concerns from the public and answer questions about the prevention of PFAS and contaminants, how the COVID crisis has impacted water resources, well safety, groundwater, meter accuracy, storm water management, ongoing innovations, among other topics.

The roundtable is being held in conjunction with National Infrastructure Week, which is September 14-21, as well as the Great Michigan Read, which features as its selection this year -- What the Eyes Don’t See by Mona Hanna-Attisha. Hanna-Attisha details her involvement in diagnosing the Flint water crisis. The 2019-2020 Great Michigan Read is presented by Michigan Humanities and supported by national, statewide, and local partners, including the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Meijer Foundation.

Sign up through the Library’s calendar to attend through Zoom, or participate in real-time through the Library’s Facebook page.

This event will be recorded and made available for future viewing through the Library’s webpage and the Community Television Channel.

Any questions about the program can be answered by visiting the library or by calling (248) 437-6431.