Niles Township eyes road repairs, sewer

Published 2:21 pm Wednesday, February 21, 2007

By By MICHAEL C. GUILMETTE JR. / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Grinder pumps and West River Road improvements dominated discussion at Monday's Niles Charter Township meeting.
Picking up a discussion started on Feb. 5, the township board pondered adjusting the township's ordinances to allow residents to install grinder pumps, a sewage pump designed to grind sewage and pump it to the main sewer lines.
This type of system would benefit residents who live in subdivisions and are often 500 feet or more from the main line.
"The only issue becomes is when you put a private system that is within 500 feet of a sanitary system of ours," Jim Ringler, township treasurer, said, referring to the township's sewer system. He said the current ordinances for subdivisions already addresses use of private sewage systems, but coordinating that usage with public systems needs to be considered by the board.
The desire to use grinder pumps was summed up by Sarah Ferguson, an eighth grade Ring Lardner Middle School student who was observing the meeting.
"What you're saying that grinder pumps are doing to lowering the cost of regular sewers," Ferguson said from the audience.
"Pretty much," Bill Myers, township supervisor, said. He then set Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. for a special meeting about grinder pump usage.
The board also approved a $34,000 outlay as part of a $490,000 project to rebuild West River Road between U.S. 12 and Chicago Road. The road was redesignated as a primary road, moving it up on the list for road construction funding.