Year Six, Seven – 2008-2009

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New name – same purpose, a year of transition and focus
By Scott J. Kendzierski, M.S., R.E.H.S. Board Chair.

Between 1950 and 2000 the population of the United States doubled – but in the same period the demand for water tripled. Each gallon consumed comes with a price tag which far exceeds a monthly water bill.
This is why we are proud to be an EPA WaterSense Partner.
Public water supply and treatment facilities consume over 56 billion kilowatt-hours annually. Enough electricity to power over 5 million homes for a year. Over 80% of that energy is used just to move water back and forth in pipes – and that includes anyone who has their own onsite well and septic. We need to recoup and reuse that energy.

Our education purpose encompasses ‘water’ – plain and simple! Although our emphasis is on rural, small town northern Michigan, our programs are relevant statewide and beyond.
On average each of us now consumes 70-100 gallons of precious water a day – 1600 glasses of expensive clean water.
It comes from somewhere. It goes somewhere.
Returning it in as pristine condition as it began is what we do.

Read the full 2008-9 Report below

All The Water There Ever Will Be Goes Through YOU and Goes Through
Me!
Tell me and I’ll listen. Show me and I’ll see. But let me learn for myself and I’ll remember!
In 2009, through generous grant funding from two local Foundations, 4th. and 5th. Grade students at Mill Creek Elelementary School taught themselves about where their water supply comes from. They followed the water cycle from atmosphere, to Lake Michigan, to their schools water well, to their own human water composition, and out to their school septic system!

If we learn anything from standing on the river bank or lakeshore it is that all water is connected – no one person owns it – we ALL do!

Watershed/Aquifer Based Wastewater Planning what goes around comes around – again, again, again.
In 2009 the first phase of an ongoing Regional Wastewater and Water Resource Infrastructure Report was published both as a CD and online at our web site.
The Report will be updated as a means to track the actual cost of providing wastewater service and recycling water back to surface and groundwaters. Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Emmet, Charlevoix and Grand Traverse County provided data which enabled GIS mapping for all new construction, replacement and failed septic systems since 2002. With assistance from Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, overlay maps were prepared showing critical areas of water-related impact including the location of existing municipal sewer systems.
The resulting resource contained current comprehensive research and technical papers to assist communities in making wastewater decisions.
This project was made possible by funding from the Joyce Foundation.