A joint meeting between two parties invested in the Livingston Regional Sewer System took place in Hartland Township. Members of the Livingston County Department of Public Works Board met with the Hartland Township Board of Trustees, Tuesday evening. Hartland Township Supervisor Bill Fountain said the two boards hadn’t formally met before, and he wanted to invite the county out for a discussion on the state of the sewer system.

Drain Commissioner Brian Jonckheere gave a presentation that began with the formation of the Livingston County Sewer System, or LRSS, and ended with the challenges they may be facing in the future. The Sewer System was implemented in 2005, and through partnerships, carries Hartland Township’s and Tyrone Township’s waste north to Genesee County for treatment. Jonckheere said the LRSS had some dark days early on, but has grown to a point of stabilization. They’ve come out of a point where there was no growth, to now, when growth has picked up. This has allowed for the general stabilization of rates without residents seeing exceptional increases.

The County has commissioned a capacity study to help identify bottlenecks and system impacts, especially in Hartland Township where they see a greater potential for growth. They are hoping this will help them to get ahead of older infrastructure and lower capacity pipe problems before developers run into them. Fountain pointed out the impact the sewer receiving station has had. 26-million gallons of waste is being taken up to Genesee County yearly and being treated where previously it would have been ground-applied locally. Fountain called it a “win” for the entire county. Jonckheere noted in his presentation, however, that Genesee County is implementing stricter requirements which are causing the Livingston County DPW to explore options at reducing their footprint at the plant. (MK)