State Rep. Brian BeGole on Tuesday offered testimony on vital water infrastructure needs he is fighting to secure for the city of Owosso and surrounding areas in Shiawassee County.

The city has committed to a generational reinvestment in its water and sewer infrastructure, with improvements to drinking water, wastewater treatment and sewer collection systems laid out over a period of several years.

“A total of 30 percent of the population within the district I represent is served by this water and sewer system, and many more are affected downriver when you take into account possible environmental concerns that could come from failing infrastructure,” BeGole said when testifying before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. “Maintaining and modernizing is not about pipes and pumps. It’s about public health, environmental stewardship, and economic viability. The system is strained beyond its capacity, and without immediate assistance the burdens will fall on local ratepayers who simply can’t afford massive increases.”

“Owosso’s water system is in crisis,” said Shelly Ochodnicky, a lifelong Owosso resident and small business owner who also serves as Caledonia Township Trustee and is a member of the Owosso School Board. “If the state does not step in, the consequences will be devastating – for my family, for my business, and for thousands of people across Owosso, Caledonia Township, Owosso Charter Township and Corunna. This is not a community filled with disposable income. This is a working-class town where people are doing everything they can to keep their heads above water – no pun intended. We are talking about a 108% increase in our water bills over the next five years. That’s not sustainable – not for families, seniors on fixed incomes, renters, homeowners or small business owners.”

BeGole has requested $207.7 million within the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year for drinking water system improvements like lead service line replacements, new nitrification towers to handle wastewater, and sewer updates. Much of the existing infrastructure dates back to the 1930s and has significantly exceeded its expected service life. Testimony focused on a $15 million request to replace the city’s aging nitrification towers.

“(The towers) are essential for removing ammonia and nitrogen compounds before treated wastewater is discharged,” said Tom Cook, a former Owosso city council member and past Friends of the Shiawassee River board chair who joined BeGole for testimony on the plans. “Their failure would have dire consequences. It would threaten public health. It would violate permits the plant is operating on, and the emergency replacement of those towers would be much more expensive than a planned replacement.”

Cook noted in his presentation that six million gallons of untreated wastewater would be released daily into the river if the towers fail.

Justin Horvath, President and CEO of the Shiawassee County Economic Development Partnership, also shared testimony outlining the immense benefit that would come from updated water infrastructure given Owosso’s unique position as a mid-Michigan hub.

“We have thousands of people coming into work every day. We have manufacturing, hospitals, education and other industries,” Horvath said. “Forty-five percent of the jobs that are filled in our community are actually from people that don’t live in the community. People’s economic livelihoods – being employed in Owosso and utilizing this system – are very much tied together. This project is absolutely necessary if we’re going to have broader development, especially industrial development.”

“There has been a lot of collaboration and work done locally to put these projects at the forefront,” BeGole said. “I’m proud to be a part of that, and I will continue fighting for this vital funding in the Legislature as the budget process continues.”

PHOTO INFORMATION (Top photo): State Rep. Brian BeGole, of Antrim Township, is joined by (from left) Owosso School Board member and Caledonia Township Trustee Shelly Ochodnicky, former Owosso city council member and past Friends of the Shiawassee River board chair Tom Cook, and Shiawassee County Economic Development Partnership President and CEO Justin Horvath for testimony on a budget request BeGole has made for vital water infrastructure improvements for the city of Owosso on Tuesday, June 24. (Bottom photo): State Rep. Brian BeGole testifies before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy on his budget request for water infrastructure improvements for the city of Owosso on Tuesday, June 24.