Photo: Michael L. AnwayComment pelleter les problèmes en avant, ou au lieu de dépolluer une rivière pour que les frais de rendre son eau potable soient raisonnables, les ingénieurs proposent plutôt de construire un pipeline pour amener de l'eau d'ailleurs. Incroyable! Et de plus, après plusieurs années d'inaction, les conseillers de la ville doivent prendre une décision en mode panique. N'importe quelle personne qui suit les séances du conseil de sa municipalité va voir des similitudes dans le scénario suivant...Voici une traduction libre d'un article local dans l'état du Michigan qui parle d'un projet insensé au lieu de s'attaquer au problème de base: une rivière polluée!
Un rapport soumis à la municipalité de Flint, au Michigan pour tenter de résoudre son problème d'eau potable serait de construire un pipeline qui transporterait l'eau du lac Huron, plutôt que de traiter l'eau de la rivière qui traverse la ville, ou même acheter de l'eau traitée de la ville de Détroit. Le projet de pipeline coûterait $300 millions.
La solution la plus dispendieuse serait de continuer d'acheter de l'eau de Détroit. Ensuite, un peu moins coûteuse serait l'eau prise directement de la rivière Flint qui traverse la ville. Cette solution n'est pas la moins dispendieuse parce que l'usine de filtration de la ville aurait besoin d'être rénovée au prix de $50 millions, car en ce moment, l'usine traite l'eau à temps partiel.
La municipalité devrait aussi dépenser un $10 millions de plus pour moderniser d'autres infrastructures comme ses barrages et d'autres installations pour s'assurer qu'il y aurait assez d'eau pour les résidences et rencontrer à la fois les exigences environnementales de l'état.
C'est moins compliqué de traiter l'eau du lac parce que l'eau y est plus propre, et l'usine aurait besoin alors que $10 millions de modifications.
"Notre but ultime est d'obtenir de l'eau de la meilleure qualité au moindre prix pour tous nos clients". dit Jeffrey Wright, le commissaire de Genessee County. "Si nous construisons ceci, et je crois que c'est le moins coûteux pour nos citoyens, nous avons besoin de prendre la décision d'ici les prochaines 4 à 5 semaines." dit Wright, ajoutant que le travail des ingénieurs doit se faire à temps pour que le projet commence au printemps de 2012.
Les membres du conseil avait dit qu'il voulait une étude pour comparer les coûts des 3 solutions, car les résidents verront une augmentation de 35% sur leur facture d'eau et d'égouts ce mois-ci.
L'augmentation soudaine est due au fait que la ville de Détroit a augmenté ses tarifs depuis plusieurs années, mais que l'augmentation n'aurait pas été refilée aux résidents de Flint jusqu'à maintenant.
Photo: kyndoutdoors.com"Report: Buying in to new water pipeline from Lake Huron cheaper for Flint drinking water than treating river water
FLINT, Michigan -- The most cost-effective drinking water option for the city of Flint would be to finance and build a new $300-million water pipeline with Genesee County and other areas, according to a new report done for the city.
Pumping the water from Lake Huron would be cheaper over time than buying water from Detroit, which the city has done for decades, or treating Flint River water, according to the analysis done by Rowe Engineering and presented to the Flint City Council tonight.
The most expensive option by far is continuing to buy from Detroit, the report said, followed by using Flint River water. The river option isn't as cost-effective because the city's water treatment plant would need about $50 million in upgrades to treat the water full time, rather than as a back-up option as it is now.
The city would also need to spend another $10 million in other infrastructure upgrades to dams and other river features to make sure the river can supply enough water to residents and still meet its environmental requirements from the state.
Treating lake water, on the other hand, isn't as complicated because it's cleaner, and the treatment plant would need about $10 million in upgrades, officials said.
"Our whole goal all along is to get the cheapest, highest quality water to all the customers -- Flint, Genesee County and others," Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeffrey Wright said.
Wright, who has led the charge to build the pipeline, was on hand to answer questions about the project that a consortium of five communities is planning to finance and build.
The consortium is made up of Genesee County, Flint, Lapeer County, the city of Lapeer and Sanilac County, and is known collectively as the Karegnondi Water Authority.
Wright stressed that time is of the essence as the city decides how and where it will get its drinking water in the future.
"If we build this, and I believe it's the most cost-effective thing for our citizens... We really would need to make a decision in the next four to five weeks," Wright said, adding that engineering work needs to get done in time to start the project in spring 2012.
Council members had said they wanted a cost comparison of the three drinking water options -- a contract with Detroit, building the pipeline and treating Flint River water -- so they can determine what would be cheapest for Flint residents, who will see a 35 percent increase on their water and sewer bills this month.
The increase is largely due to several years of water rate increases from Detroit, which weren't always passed on to Flint residents.
City Council President Jackie Poplar said the new report has swayed her closer to making a decision in favor of building the pipeline as the issue is discussed further over the next several weeks.
"I've always thought Flint should have control of its water," Poplar said. "I'm happy to be a part of a project that will loosen us from Detroit and provide good clean water to the citizens."
Wright said KWA recently met with representatives from the Detroit Water and Sewer Board to discuss the pipeline and received some good news.
Detroit officials said they would consider selling a portion of its pipeline to KWA -- which could knock off about $40 million from the $300-million pipeline construction costs, Wright said.
"It would reduce the time frame to build the system," he said. "The construction costs would be much lower.""
Excerpts from article written by Kristin Longley forthe Flint Journal published here:http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2011/09/water_treatment.html
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