Oakland County outlines $6 million repair plan for Walled Lake–Novi wastewater plant; Chapter 20 drain would shift oversight

Oakland County Water Resources officials told the Walled Lake City Council on Dec. 16 that the Walled Lake–Novi wastewater treatment plant needs a package of capital repairs that would cost an estimated $6,000,000 and that Walled Lake's share would be roughly one‑third of that cost.

"An estimated amount would be $6,000,000," said Mary Coker, chief engineer for Oakland County's wastewater treatment plants, in a presentation to the council. She said the plant has a designed capacity of about 3,500,000 gallons per day and is maintained by eight employees.

Coker outlined specific priorities: repair of concrete biosolids storage tanks that show spalling and cracks; replacement or redundancy for a single dewatering machine; refurbishment of 1990s‑era process blowers that supply oxygen for biological nutrient removal; lining of manholes along the 17,000‑foot Walled Lake Arm after CCTV inspections revealed joint leakage; and upgrades to the effluent structure and the motor control center to address safety and compliance risks.

County staff recommended forming a Chapter 20 drainage district — a statutory drain authority — that would make the drainage assets subject to a drain board and petition process. "By doing this, one of the ways that we think would be mutually beneficial ... would be the creation of a Chapter 20 drain," Coker said, adding that the structure would allow communities more direct review of proposals and invoices and require petitions before major capital work proceeds.

When asked about the petition status, Coker said Novi has already signed; the Chapter 20 process cannot begin until both participating communities petition. Council members pressed staff for boundary maps, metering data and independent engineering reports before committing to a vote or financing plan.

Council members also suggested pursuing grants and energy audits to reduce costs. One council member recommended asking DTE Energy for an energy assessment and incentives (variable frequency drives and rebates) to lower operating costs; staff said they would explore that option and noted county WRC has a DTE representative.

The council did not take a formal vote on joining a drainage district at the meeting. Several members asked for a site tour, additional engineering detail, and clarification of the territorial boundaries and per‑capita flow numbers before making any financial commitments.