Exploring the North Kent Sewer Authority: A Fascinating Family Adventure
As someone who loves to understand how things work, I've often joked that I could make a career out of touring Michigan businesses. While I haven’t quite figured out how to turn that into a full-time job, I do enrich my children's lives by taking them around town to various places to learn about different processes. Our latest adventure led us to the North Kent Sewer Authority.
Living as first-world citizens, we rarely think about how clean water comes and goes—until something goes wrong, of course. For those living in Cannon Township, Alpine Township, Plainfield Township, Rockford, or Courtland Township and connected to the sewer system, this is where your water goes after you use it.
We arrived at the address on Coit Ave and were greeted by a pleasant-looking farmhouse-style building. Designed and built in 2008, the facility doesn't stand out and, surprisingly, there were no unpleasant odors outside.
First Stop: Solid Removal Our first stop was where the solids are removed from the water.
Scott Schoolcraft, NKDA Director of Operations, our amazing tour guide, shared some of the craziest things they've had to remove from their machines, including a 100-foot tow rope. They also frequently find money (when drugs are flushed), bathing suits, and toys.
PSA: This was a good reminder that flushable wipes are not actually flushable, despite what the packaging might say. Put those in the trash!
Next: Bacteria Basins The next stage involves the water moving to an open outdoor area where beneficial bacteria help clean it. These basins are enormous, each holding 1.5 million gallons.
Filtration Building From there, the water enters a new building where it passes through filters. Each filter costs $4,000, and there are 2,600 of them, lasting for 10 years.
High-Energy Pumps We then saw a room where Scott mentioned that the electricity cost for that room alone is $40,000 per month. They pump 900 gallons per minute using five pumps.
Clean Water Finally, the water is clean and ready to be released into the river. The facility also treats the air to keep odors away, cleaning 15,000 cubic feet per minute.
Some Questions I Asked:
Why don’t we send the water back? Lake Bella Vista could use this water Scott mentioned. However, strict regulations from EGLE dictate where the water can go. In areas without abundant water resources, the water might be pumped back, but Michigan's ample water supply makes this unnecessary.
Who uses the most water? Domestic use is a small part of the water plant's operation. Scott mentioned that Perrin Brewery, for example, uses a significant amount of water.
Scott, a former fire department chief, loves working for the people. You could really tell he loves what he does and was so welcoming and an excellent tour guide.
Did you know? Our Supervisor, Steve Grimm, is Chairman of the Board for NKSA.
If it weren't for my children, I could have stayed much longer, asking more questions. Water has always fascinated me, and learning how we clean it is truly awesome.
If you're a parent looking for something cool to do with your kids or a lifelong learner, I highly suggest touring this facility. To learn more, visit: http://nksa.us/.
