Traverse City Record-Eagle

Garfield Township

April 11, 2008

Sewage spills into creek as pumps fail

8K gallons made it into Mitchell Creek headwaters

By Brian McGillivary

TRAVERSE CITY -- A failed battery pack in a sewer pump station caused approximately 8,000 gallons of sewage to spill into the Mitchell Creek headwaters.

About 16,000 gallons overflowed when sewer pumps in the Grand Traverse County-run system failed to switch on in a Garfield Township industrial park southeast of the Hammond and Garfield roads intersection.

County Department of Public Works Director Chris Buday said the problem began at about 2 a.m. Monday and wasn't discovered until 8 a.m.

Buday said about half the spill was caught in an adjacent storm water retention basin and it appeared the sewage mainly discharged from a nearby industrial laundry facility.

"It's raw sewage, but it's not like you have 16,000 gallons of water coming out of a toilet," Buday said. "The impact area was pretty small and (Tuesday) you couldn't even tell where it went."

The county used a jet vacuum truck to draw in liquid and then spread lime on the ground as a disinfectant, Buday said.

County health department official Thomas Buss said nothing more needs to be done because the sewage flowed into a wetland area instead of directly into the creek.

Monday's sunshine also helped because it kills bacteria.

"It's probably the best cleanup that could possibly be done," Buss said.

The DPW replaced the battery power pack at the pump station and is monitoring the station, Buday said.

County officials will study technical issues as to why the battery pack failed and why a computer monitoring system did not send out proper alarms, Buday said.

"We are also going to review our procedures to see if we can catch these things quicker," Buday said.

Text Only
  • Townships consider financial ordinance

    Two area townships will consider ordinances to restrict their business dealings with people or companies owing back property taxes or other fees.

    Continued ...
    Jun 22, 2010 7:02 am
  • Cost of Hammond-Keystone road connection rises
    CSS14C6.jpg

    What may be the largest project undertaken by Grand Traverse County's Road Commission could drag on another three months and cost nearly $2 million more than anticipated.

    Continued ...
    Jun 14, 2010 7:05 am 1 Photo
  • 'Archaic' rules may put kibosh on facility

    Grand Traverse County's solid waste guidelines, considered by critics as outdated and "archaic," may block a company from using a closed manufacturing plant to recycle material that currently goes to landfills.

    Continued ...
    Jun 11, 2010 7:30 am
  • Garfield Twp. plans to sue Metavation
    CSS929E.jpg

    A local manufacturer that planned to close last year kept more than 100 employees on the job months longer than it intended after Garfield Township officials threatened to sue the company for more than $1 million.

    Continued ...
    Jun 10, 2010 7:30 am 1 Photo
  • Half of Garfield rentals fail inspections

    More than half of all apartments and hotels in Garfield Township failed to pass newly required maintenance inspections.

    Continued ...
    Updated Mar 25, 2010 7:16 am
  • Monday, March 22, 2010
  • Police: Subway manager took more than $10K

    The manager of a local Subway pocketed more than $10,000 from the restaurant, police said.

    Continued ...
    Updated Mar 22, 2010 7:22 am
  • Saturday, February 27, 2010
  • S. Marvin's brother: 'Her life wasn't over'
    images_sizedimage_058004018

    Shari Lee Marvin, 46, died inside her Garfield Township apartment Thursday, and authorities charged her husband, Michael David Marvin, with an open count of murder after he allegedly stabbed her in the chest with a knife. Authorities found a knife at the scene, but would not say if it was the suspected murder weapon.

    Continued ...
    Feb 27, 2010 12:40 am 2 Photos
  • Wednesday, January 20, 2010
  • Garfield Township suing Tower Automotive
    Tower Automotive

    Garfield Township is suing Tower Automotive LLC to recover over $1 million in tax abatements granted to the now-closed automotive parts manufacturer.

    Continued ...
    Jan 20, 2010 7:25 am 1 Photo
  • Thursday, December 10, 2009
  • Grant will fund Boardman frontage purchase
    BOARDMAN RIVER LAND

    A $1.23 million Michigan trust fund grant will help Garfield Township preserve more than 1.5 miles of frontage along the Boardman River's eastern bank.

    Continued ...
    Dec 10, 2009 11:30 pm 1 Photo
  • Sunday, November 22, 2009
  • Local Sports In Brief: 11/22/2009

    Regional win puts Striders in nationals; TC Bulldogs open season with 2 wins

    Continued ...
    Nov 22, 2009 7:05 am
  • Tuesday, October 13, 2009
  • Attorney: McManus case should be dismissed
    Judy McManus

    Former Garfield Township Treasurer Judy McManus is scheduled for trial today for allegedly altering township financial records, in part for attempting to hide payments to an agency that collected delinquent taxes. But McManus' attorney said the case should be dismissed.

    Continued ...
    Oct 13, 2009 7:25 am 1 Photo
  • Friday, October 2, 2009
  • New fire house to be built in Garfield

    A new fire house will be built in Grand Traverse County's Garfield Township, largely funded with federal stimulus dollars.

    Continued ...
    Oct 2, 2009 11:30 pm
  • Friday, September 25, 2009
  • Road lanes to be closed in Garfield

    Lanes will be closed for sewer work in Garfield Township, and road markings will be applied to roads across the rest of Grand Traverse County.

    Continued ...
    Sep 25, 2009 11:10 pm
  • Friday, July 31, 2009
  • Williamsburg man facing break-in charges

    A Williamsburg man faces multiple criminal charges after he allegedly forced his way in to a woman's home.

    Continued ...
    Jul 31, 2009 7:40 am
  • Friday, July 24, 2009
  • Hammond to Keystone road project hits bump
    Hammond Extension

    Debbie Kuemin looks forward to the day Grand Traverse County completes a $10 million project to connect Hammond and Keystone roads, even if it takes six months longer than planned.

    Continued ...
    Jul 24, 2009 7:00 am 1 Photo
  • Man allegedly beat his girlfriend

    A Garfield Township man faces felony criminal charges for allegedly beating his live-in girlfriend with a piece of furniture.

    Continued ...
    Jul 24, 2009 7:00 am
  • Charges in alleged assault at Wal-Mart

    A Blair Township man faces criminal charges for allegedly stealing from Wal-Mart and assaulting two store employees when they apprehended him.

    Continued ...
    Jul 24, 2009 7:00 am
  • Thursday, June 18, 2009
  • Bee swarm grabs attention of passersby
    Cluster of Bees

    Mike Street hoisted a tree branch with a massive cluster of honey bees stretching from his chest to his toes, like a proud fisherman showing off a record catch. "When they hang this low, it's a perfect cluster to capture," said Street, as a small crowd gathered outside of Stromberg Carlson Products Inc. off Hammond Road in Garfield Township to watch him carefully remove two large bee clusters swarming outside the local manufacturing firm.

    Continued ...
    Jun 18, 2009 8:26 am 1 Photo
  • Ex-treasurer allegedly hid payments

    Authorities issued a criminal charge against former Garfield Township Treasurer Judy McManus for allegedly hiding improper payments to a collection agency.

    Continued ...
    Jun 18, 2009 8:07 am
  • Thursday, June 4, 2009
  • Blaze destroys furniture building
    images_sizedimage_155103807

    A Garfield Township custom furniture business is deemed to be a total loss after fire gutted the building.

    Continued ...
    Jun 4, 2009 7:20 am 1 Photo
  • Friday, May 29, 2009
  • Man allegedly drove under influence

    A Traverse City man faces felony drunken driving charges after three previous convictions.

    Continued ...
    May 29, 2009 6:50 am
  • Friday, May 22, 2009
  • Ordinance urges landlords to clean up

    Memo to Garfield Township property owners, particularly landlords: You have 90 days to cut the grass and clean up your sites.

    Continued ...
    May 22, 2009 11:15 pm
  • Friday, April 24, 2009
  • $6.5M project to join roads
    Hammond to Keystone

    A new road extension planned this summer will exhaust the bulk of money set aside more than a decade ago for a hotly contested bridge project that would have connected Hartman and Hammond roads.

    Continued ...
    Apr 24, 2009 12:00 am 1 Photo
  • Friday, April 17, 2009
  • GT Mall: Bankruptcy won't affect shoppers
    GRAND TRAVERSE MALL

    In its drive to become the second-largest owner of shopping malls in the nation, General Growth Properties Inc. racked up $27 billion in debt. At around 2 a.m. in Chicago on Thursday morning, the retail giant buckled under the weight.

    Continued ...
    Updated Apr 17, 2009 7:10 am 1 Photo
  • Wednesday, April 8, 2009
  • Garfield Twp. proposes conflict policy

    Garfield Township may require its officials to publicly disclose their financial interests in the township under a proposed conflict of interest policy. Supervisor Chuck Korn said he wants specific rules in place that address potential self-dealing among township officials.

    Continued ...
    Updated Apr 9, 2009 6:52 am