Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
Ironwood Township — The Ironwood Township Board of Trustees spent little time Monday discussing the communication from the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, likely due to the fact it contained nothing but good news.
The letter — dated Dec. 15, 2016 — is a follow up to a department visit made Nov. 30, 2016.
“The primary purpose of our visit was to determine compliance and conduct a formal water system evaluation under the Michigan Safe Drinking Act,” Douglas Pascoe wrote in the letter. “While in Ironwood Township, we discussed water system operation and maintenance, reviewed records and reports, and discussed water system operation and maintenance (with township employees).”
The township’s municipal water system was rated satisfactory, with no violations found. Surveys of the township’s source, treatment, pump stations and finances were determined not to be applicable — likely because they are handled by other entities, such as the Gogebic Range Water Authority.
Following the meeting, Supervisor Steve Boyd said he was pleased with the results.
“We’re pleased that once again, the state has determined our water supply is safe for all of our people,” Boyd told the Daily Globe. “We will continue to do whatever it takes to make sure our water supply is always safe.”
During the meeting, several board members asked whether the natural spring on Lake Road near Little Girl’s Point was part of the test. The letter only refers to the township’s municipal system, according to Boyd, and information is still needed on the water quality of the spring.
Earlier this year, the spring tested positive for coliform bacteria — which is an indication of possible contamination — leading to fears it may be closed.
Since then, the township has taken over ownership of the spring from the Gogebic County Road Commission and made improvements hoped to eliminate the presence of bacteria.
In other action:
—The board approved an agreement with the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District to collect the 2017 summer taxes.
