Stewart Nelson

Yesterday the campaign trail took me to the Drinking Water Treatment Plant on Sunset Rd. As a youth growing up on Robin Rd. (till age 11) not too far from the plant I remember trying unsuccessfully to get nearer to the large round tanks that pulled me closer like steel to a magnet. To tell you the truth, I am not sure what I would have done if had succeeded in penetrating the Cyclone Fence with barb wire on top? For sure there are no fish in the tanks.

My orientation and tour was conducted by Sumedh Bahl, the Plant Manager. If I was getting ready to draft an all-star team for a new treatment plant, Sumedh would be my first draft pick. Sumedh was a virtual “fountain” of knowledge on the intricacies of keeping our water safe. Sort of like getting a drink of water from a fire hydrant as I got more than I expected. Did you know that 85% of our water comes from the Huron River? This sends home the point about when you wash your car we need to insure it doesn’t go down the storm drains.

Another tid bit…Sumedh and his staff are also in charge of the three damns and also the 2 large storage tanks we can see covered by the fancy artwork on Plymouth Rd and also on Washtenaw. There are also four remote pumping stations that they are responsible for. All this so that when we turn on our tap, clean water appears. My new resolution is to turn the water off when I am brushing my teeth. We all need to do our part.

Did you know that May 4 to 10 is National Drinking Water Week? I certainly would have missed that one if I hadn’t taken time to actually visit with Sumedh and explore the City web site. If you are curious, the City Web site has more information.

http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/water_treatment/Pages/DrinkingWaterWeek.aspx