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Canton trustees grant conditional consent for Salem Township sewer line; board cites flood, septic and environmental protections
Summary
Canton Township approved a resolution consenting to Salem Township’s request to construct a sewer force main through Canton’s public right-of-way to connect to the Ypsilanti utility, conditioned on infrastructure, stormwater and indemnity protections for Canton residents and property.
The Canton Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously on June 24 to grant conditional consent to Salem Township under MCL 247.1831 to construct and maintain a sewer line across Canton public right-of-way to connect to the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (as described in the resolution). The board’s consent is conditioned on a package of infrastructure, flood-control and legal protections Salem Township must provide at its cost.
Key points of the resolution: Canton’s resolution states the township has experienced severe flooding in recent years along Fellows Creek and Fowler Creek and that additional treated wastewater capacity discharged locally could aggravate flood conditions. The board’s consent therefore requires Salem Township, among other items, to:
- Provide direct sewer connections or extensions to Canton homes and businesses on septic systems along the route (the resolution lists specific street segments and parcel ranges); - Extend and install Canton-owned sanitary sewer where the force main route requires it (examples listed include extensions from Warren Road north to Joy Road and multiple Ridge Road segments in the resolution); - Implement stormwater and flood management solutions along Ridge and Denton Road corridors and in specified areas near the proposed force main; - Replace any trees, shrubs or landscaping impacted by construction; - Provide an operations and maintenance plan and intergovernmental agreement governing the force main’s operation; and - Execute a release, indemnity and waiver by which Salem agrees to defend and hold Canton harmless for claims arising from Salem Township’s negligence or intentional acts during construction and for the life of the force main.
Board discussion and agency input: Salem Township Supervisor Gary Whitaker and an EGLE representative, Phil Arjuroff (assistant director, Water Resources Division), addressed the board. Arjuroff said EGLE’s preference, on environmental and water-quality grounds, remains a regional sewer connection to Ypsilanti’s utility rather than construction of a new local wastewater-treatment plant; he also said EGLE is prepared to issue a discharge (MPDES) permit for a plant if no viable alternative is implemented. Plymouth Township earlier voted 6–1 to allow a route through Plymouth’s right-of-way, Whitaker told the board.
Trustee comments referenced the township’s interest in protecting residents on septic systems—Trustee Diane Slavens said about 100 Canton households currently use septic systems along the route and that access to sewers would assist those residents. Board members said details will be worked out in an intergovernmental agreement among the parties.
Formal action: Motion to adopt the resolution was made by Trustee Burzynski and supported by Trustee Foster; the board voted unanimous aye and the motion passed. The board directed staff to move forward with negotiating an intergovernmental agreement that implements the resolution’s conditions.
Next steps: townships and county staff will negotiate a detailed intergovernmental agreement spelling out the required infrastructure extensions, stormwater work, operations and maintenance responsibilities, and indemnity terms. If property owners along the route later choose not to connect, the resolution does not require them to do so unless county rules on failed septic systems compel a mandatory connection, the board noted.
