Dept. of Public Works (DPW)
Department of Public Works
Dennis Mahan, Eric Mahan and Charles Allore
•Sewer line inspection •Water meter replacement
•Bucket load of gravel •Leak detection
•Pool fill meter •Reading of water meters
To make an appointment with the DPW for any of the items listed above call (989) 755-0931.
Water Awareness
Here are some facts about you and your water system:
Did you know that humans are mostly water? Men are 65-75% water. Women are 55-65% water. Your blood is 83% water. Your bones are 25% water.
In the average U.S. home, a person uses 5-7 gallons of water for each hair shampooing.
A hot water faucet that leaks 60 drops per minute can waste 192 gallons of water and 48 kilowatt hours of electricity per month.
Your washer uses 32-59 gallons of water per cycle, depending on the size of the load. To save water, be sure to adjust the water level for the size load you’re washing.
Running the tap waiting for the water to get hot or cold can use 5 gallons a minute.
A tub bath requires 30-50 gallons of water. Showers use as much as 9 gallons of water per minute.
Storm Water Tips
Household Wastes: Dispose of household cleaners, chemicals, oil, automotive fluids, paint, and other potential toxins in ways that protect your family and your drinking source. What you put into our storm sewers and open drains goes to area rivers and then to the Saginaw Bay. It does not get cleaned at a treatment plant. Do your “Bit for the Bay”, dispose of chemicals properly.
Pharmaceuticals: Never flush unused or outdated medicines down the drain or toliet. These types of chemicals can get into our groundwater and eventually into your drinking water. Studies show that waste water treatment plants are not designed to clean up water with pharmaceuticals in it and these chemicals are getting into our drinking water from the Great Lakes. Do your “Bit for the Bay” and dispose of these old or unused medicines at your local pharmacy or the Public Health Dept.
Fertilizer: The State of Michigan has passed a law, effective January 1, 2012, banning the use of harmful phosphorus lawn fertilizers in order to protect the Great Lakes and surface waters of our State. Check the label before buying fertilizer. The bags will show a seris of 3 numbers, the middle number must be 0, this indicates the fertilizer contains no phosphorus and won’t pollute our water resources. Do you “Bit for the Bay” purchase only phosphorus free fertilizers.
Rainwater: The only thing that should go down our storm drains is rainwater. Anything else, such as grass clippings, leaves, oil, vehicle fluids, fertilizer and pet waste is considered an ILLICIT DISCHARGE. If you witness supicious dumping into storm drains, call our reporting Hot Line at (989) 790-5258 or your local Department of Public Works. Do your “Bit for the Bay” keep our storm water clean.
Pet Waste: Be a responsible pet owner and prevent contamination of the surface water and groundwater in our area. We all share by cleaning up anything “left behind” on your walk. A clean walk is a great walk. You may not think your pet is the source of pollution, but there are a lot of pets out there, we all ned to do our “Bit for the Bay” and help keep our surface waters as clean as possible.
RV, Travel Trailer & Boat Waste Disposal: If you enjoy boating and camping remember to properly dispose of your black water tank waste at a designated RV or Boat Sanitary Dump Station. Improper disposal of wastes can contaminate the ground and our water resources. It can leave our Great Lakes – Not So Great! Go to http;www.saswa.org/public_education.php to learn more.