KINDERHOOK, MI (WTVB) – The Kinderhook-Ovid Sewer Plant has completed a substantial maintenance and upgrade project after seven years, serving nearly 1,500 homes across Coldwater Lake, Long Lake, and Lake George.
The $3 million project, reduced from an initial $5 million proposal, addressed decades of neglect and state-mandated upgrades, including dredging 40 years of sludge, installing a new intake pit, and replacing non-functional aeration pumps. Engineers say that new aeration pumps inject oxygen into wastewater, using bacteria to purify it before discharge into the Prairie River.
To cover upgrades and increased operational costs, including a new $2,400 monthly utility expense, The Department of Public Works board approved a 10% rate hike for next year. The board increased rates over the last three years to $49 per month, with the increase billed at $147 quarterly to help cover the $280,00 annual bond payment.
With the plant now modernized, the Department of Public Works plans to upgrade remaining lift stations and sewer lines.
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