By Wendy Colsen
In true ride-along spirit, one has to be prepared to get down and dirty with the subject at hand, and the ride with the Kalamazoo Lake Sewer and Water Authority (KLSWA) was no exception. Need I mention? Sewer…
This ride-along started with a perk, a home pick up from Scott Herbert, former Saugatuck Department of Public Works (DPW) Superintendent and all-around great guy. I was guaranteed to get an informative ride, as well as a lot of laughs along the way.
As I waited for Herbert, I packed my bag:
- Reporter stuff – check
- Muck boots – check
- High-visibility vest – check (Who knew last year’s parking cone Halloween costume would come in handy for this job?)
- Step ladder to get in and out of the truck – KLSWA trucks appeared smaller than the DPW truck, so no need
- Nose plugs – regrettably, hindsight is 20/20
KLSWA, another mysterious entity, is similar to both DPWs: they magically make things happen behind the scenes and are filled with hardworking people who quietly go about their business. It’s not so glamourous, but oh so important; keeping our water safe, clean and potable is KLSWA’s top priority.
Like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz, KLSWA employees make things hum smoothly in well head sheds and the iron reduction plant, which are reminiscent of science fiction movies, complete with humongous cabinets filled with multi-colored lights, switches and levers.
They also maintain lift stations that look like secret entrances to James Bond villains’ lairs; water pipes big enough to suck up Augustus Gloop; a laboratory reminiscent of high school biology; and sludge ponds fit for horror movie scenes. All joking aside, it was quite an impressive operation.
Our first stop was the property where wells 6 and 7 are housed and the water is treated. The tri-community area draws its water, not from Lake Michigan, but from ground wells. Ground water is much easier to clean and treat than surface water.
At the well head sheds, water is drawn up from underground aquifers into a well head that prevents debris, bugs, pollution and rain from contaminating the water source. It is then fed into the system and treated with chlorine to kill bacteria and viruses.
It is also treated with phosphate which acts as a corrosive control agent that prevents lead, copper and iron from leaching out of pipes as it binds unwanted minerals. From there, the water flows through a filtration system to remove iron and impurities.
As Herbert meticulously explained his routine on the well tours where he tests water and troubleshoots, it was apparent how seriously he took the importance of his job, along with the detailed work and thought processes it involved.
From all my previous conversations with him, I know he is one smart cookie. As I listened, I felt reassured to know he is behind the scenes at KLSWA keeping our water safe and clean.
Self-admittedly, the scientific calculations were above my pay grade, and I found my mind wandering. As he talked, I began to wonder if Augustus Gloop could actually fit in the pipes and where the Oompa Loompas would have to retrieve his chocolate covered body.
I snapped back into focus when Herbert brought out a couple of scientific gadgets and tested the water for chlorine and phosphate levels. As he shook the water samples, one turned a pretty shade of purply pink, but he lost me when he started with the complex calculations again. Bottom line – the water was safe, no adjustments needed.
On the water end of KLSWA business, Herbert and the other 3 field operators conduct well tours; complete service work orders; manage sewer backups; conduct meter repairs, replacements/installations and backwashing at the iron reduction plant; take care of MISS DIG service line location requests; do seasonal water shutoff/turn-ons, new construction meter sizing and backflow testing; perform lift station work; and handle emergency waterline leaks.
“For me (taking this job), I grew up here. I’m a boater and a fisherman, and I consume fish out of Lake Michigan,” said Herbert. “I wanted to know exactly what is being discharged back into our river system. How clean is it?”
“I’m hoping I’ll get my turn coming up next to get more involved on the wastewater side of it,” he continued, “so I can learn a little bit more about that.”
Being new to KLSWA, Herbert’s current focus is on mastering the water side of things which involves distribution and treatment. He is currently pursuing his S4 and D4 licenses which are professional certifications for drinking water operators and are issued by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).
An S-4 license allows holders to manage water mains, storage tanks, hydrants and backflow prevention, and a D-4 license allows for the operator to monitor water chemistry, adjust basic treatment additives and run plant operational logs.
“KLSWA is a S2/D2 community water supplier, meaning that it serves a population of under 10,000 and is a class C wastewater plant,” said Herbert. “Licenses are earned sequentially, so I’ll start with my S4 and D4 licenses this fall, then get my S3 and D3 in the spring, and then my S2 and D2 after that.”
We finished our mini well tour and headed off to Douglas for a look at the iron reduction plant (IRP) which filters the water pumped from wells 1 and 2.
The ride-along would not be complete without a small-town moment, so on our way to the second stop, we drove by Erin Wilkinson’s house and honked.
“When I was working at the Saugatuck DPW, Erin would cut through the DPW driveway all the time.” Herbert added with a laugh, “Now I can cut through her driveway.”
As we drove down Maple Street, we discussed the progress of the construction, which is coming along quite nicely.
“This was the highest dollar project that I had been involved in on the initial planning side,” said Herbert of his time at the DPW. “We did a ton of work to get this road going.”
In another small-town moment, once over the bridge into Douglas, we waved to Herbert’s niece Chloe who works at Happystance Dinette, Herbert’s sister Katie’s restaurant.
We then spotted Cody Carpenter, Douglas DPW employee hard at work moving barricades for the Douglas Farmer’s Market. We stopped and joked about him being the next candidate for a ride-along, but he laughed and told us there was no passenger seat in the cab of his DPW rig. Too bad. That would have been a fun truck to ride in.
We then made it to the IRP, another space filled with intrigue and mystery. There were huge pipes painted different colors to signify use; panels of gizmos, gadgets and levers that looked straight from a 50s sci-fi movie; and secret hatches that led to cavernous pits filled with water.
“There are two wells here, well 1 and well 2, that are drawing up water from the aquifer,” explained Herbert. “The water comes into the IRP where the iron is filtered out. The green pipe indicates that it is untreated ground water, the blue indicates it is treated.”
“Along the way, oxygen and chlorine are introduced to the water in an aeration process, which creates a chemical reaction and clumps the iron together, so it’s more easily filtered by a sand and gravel type media,” Herbert continued. “From there, it travels to another section where it’s treated further before heading to the distribution system.”
Once a week, preventive maintenance is performed at the IRP and the water is backwashed, which according to a quick Internet search revealed it means, “treated water is pumped backward through the filter media at a high velocity to flush out trapped dirt, silt and suspended solids, [thus restoring] the filter’s capacity and flow rate.”
We finished up at the IRP and headed next to the darker side of water – sewer. On our way to the treatment plant, we had some time to catch up due to the Allegan Street detour, so Herbert filled me in on his background.
Born and raised here, he qualifies as a true local. As mentioned, his sister owns Happystance and his mom was postmaster in Douglas for many years.
Herbert, his wife and three kids live in the area. Son Colson (no relation) is going into second grade at Douglas Elementary, Sylvie is starting preschool at Lakeside Learning Center and Flora is almost three.
His wife Lauren is a building coach for Zeeland Public Schools at Woodbridge Elementary where she uses data to support struggling students and improve school-wide learning and behavior systems.
“During my summers, I worked as a seasonal worker at the Saugatuck DPW,” said Herbert. “I could help people. It was hard work and I could work outside. I used both my back and my brain – I loved it!”
Herbert received his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University in business administration and sales and marketing.
“I had every intention of finding a job in sales or marketing, but wondered if anything more could come of a job with the DPW since I enjoyed it,” said Herbert. “At the time, City Manager Kirk Harrier realized the DPW staff was aging and moving toward retirement. There wasn’t anyone there to catch and absorb the information, so they created a spot for me and I started full time.”
Herbert held roles at the DPW such seasonal employee, seasonal maintenance supervisor, equipment operator and maintenance worker. He also got his commercial driver’s license which allows users to drive the large vehicles at the DPW.
“I got very proficient at using all the equipment the DPW owns,” said Herbert.
When Bruce Simonson talked about retirement, Herbert had his eye on the DPW superintendent position.
“I worked really hard and learned the operations the best I could,” said Herbert. “I got the job and I loved it.”
After 19 years with the Saugatuck DPW, Herbert, who loves to keep his mind challenged, applied for the job with KLSWA to learn about water and sewer.
“It’s very challenging, but I love it because I can still serve the community and be involved, but in a more in-depth way,” said Herbert. “Before, I was just working on public property and in right of ways. Now I’m seeing more of the community.”
When we reached our destination – the sewer treatment facility – even more wonders abounded. Plus, it was way less disgusting than I had imagined.
For a sewage lagoon, it was actually kind of peaceful. Ducks were swimming and nesting, beautiful flowers were blooming and algae dotted the ponds. With such breathtaking views, you would never guess that with one misstep, you could be knee-deep in doodoo.
The treatment plant is an organic micro-fed, multi-phase process that uses microorganisms instead of harsh chemicals to clean the sewage. The primary treatment takes place when the raw sewage enters a chamber to settle and separate.
The biological breakdown phase occurs when the water is separated further and aerated, helping the aerobic bacteria or micro-organisms to feed on organic matter and turn the waste into harmless elements.
Clarification and discharge are the final phases where the water is separated and treated further to prepare for testing and discharge.
“All of the sewage from Saugatuck and Douglas ends up going underneath the highway and comes through here,” Herbert said pointing to what he called the “bowels of Saugatuck.”
From my simplistic understanding, it flows through “the bowels” into the ponds and moves through the lagoons and chambers in the treatment process and into the clarifiers. According to Herbert, the final pond where the cleaned sewer water rests before it is returned back into the river is “cleaner than the Kalamazoo River.”
I had to suppress the 12-year-old inside of me and not triple-dog-dare him to drink it. Knowing Scott, he was probably thinking the same thing.
We then headed inside to see more process chambers in the clarifying room where the separation of finer suspended solids takes place. This is where one would expect to see James Bond battling villains during the tense climax, while navigating a massive underground sewer system and leaping over settling chambers filled with raw sewage.
There was no leaping for this gal. It was all I could do to watch my step with camera in hand while trying not to fall in.
Next, we went inside the KLSWA headquarters to tour the offices and science lab fit for Dr. No, mad scientist extraordinaire in the Bond film by the same name. The KLSWA lab came complete with Erlenmeyer & Florence flasks, retorts, specimen jars and graduated cylinders. I expected to see swirling colored liquids, glowing fluids and sinister-looking boiling concoctions, but alas, nothing Bond-esque was afoot.
After meeting Herbert’s fellow employees and new KLSWA Administrator Bob Miller, Herbert talked me into checking out one of the lift stations, which was not high on my list due to the ick factor, but that comes with ride-alongs, I suppose – the good, the bad and the ugly. However, this I feared, would be really ugly… and really smelly.
Lift stations are collection and pump systems that are used to lift and move sewage and wastewater from lower elevations when it cannot be done by gravity. The stations can lift wastewater to higher ground for gravitational flow or pump it directly to wastewater treatment plants.
Herbert and I parked along Blue Star Highway where he had to coax me into the adventure. Upon agreeing to hold my hair back if I barfed, the deal was set in motion.
He unlocked the secured gadgetry and popped open the protected wet well (underground holding tank). Once it was unlocked and accessible, we stepped back to allow for sufficient ventilation.
A stifled breath (or two) later, it was deemed sniff-worthy and was surprisingly not as foul as I thought it would be. I was even able to get some pictures without falling in, though I held on to Herbert’s arm for safe measure.
When asked about the grossest part of his job, Herbert said it was definitely the lift stations.
“The grease and vacuuming them out is gross,” he said. “As a preventative step, we actually clean them out before the holidays, so there are no backups and things run smoothly.”
And for the amount of infrastructure KLSWA manages, they do keep things running as smoothly as they can.
According to their website, “KLSWA proudly operates 20 public sanitary sewer lift stations and multiple facilities, continuing our mission of safeguarding public health and supporting community growth. Our infrastructure includes 6 wells, a state-of-the-art treatment plant, a water storage reservoir, and an extensive network of sewer piping and watermain. This comprehensive system ensures clean, safe drinking water and efficient wastewater treatment for all residents.”
In keeping with the James Bond theme, my curiosity was piqued about recent cyberattacks on U.S. municipal drinking and wastewater treatment facilities across 12 states, Michigan being one. Herbert reassured me there were many safeguards in place. Phew!
KLSWA recently faced some leadership challenges that played out in the press when the former manager went through a separation process from the organization, prompting the KLSWA Board Chair to resign and the operational staff to unionize.
The organization is currently working hard to rebuild trust with the community and stay true to their mission to “safeguard public health and the environment by providing reliable, high-quality water and wastewater services.”
The Board has since hired Herbert along with Administrator Bob Miller, Office Administrator Kate Milzarski and Finance Director/Human Resources Director Andrew Smith. The new staff, in addition to the others, are dedicated to helping the Board with their mission.
“What’s really important now is for Kal Lake to earn the respect and trust of the communities it serves,” said Herbert. “We have really good people working behind the scenes to make sure we provide safe and reliable water and sanitation services.”
As the end of the ride-along came to a close, I realized I only had one incident of difficulty getting out of the truck. The cloth seats do not lend themselves to sliding out as easily as the pleather seats of the DPW do. Thankfully, Herbert was in the well head shed as I bumbled my way out of the truck the one time.
I shudder to think what is in store for getting in and out of the fire truck if I do a fire station ride-along. Note to self, use the grab bar.
We wrapped up the ride with more laughs and a hug as he dropped me off to meet a friend for dinner at Phil’s. I asked him to join us, but he was on call. And in true small-town fashion, we will definitely make time for a raincheck.
Kalamazoo Lake Sewer and Water Authority is located at 6449 Old Allegan Road
Saugatuck. Wellhead protection information and water quality reports are available on their website at klswa.com, and check out their new Facebook page @ KLSWA.
Captions:
3140: Herbert tests the water in the well head shed
3164: Herbert tests the water in the well head shed
3178: Inside the well head shed
3200: Inside the well head shed
3205: The Dougals Iron Reduction Plant
3231: Inside the Dougals Iron Reduction Plant
3236: Inside the Dougals Iron Reduction Plant
3242: One of the settling ponds at the wastewater treatment plant
3245: One of the settling ponds at the wastewater treatment plant
3246: The “Bowels of Saugatuck”
3251: The “Bowels of Saugatuck”
3254: One of the settling ponds at the wastewater treatment plant
3261: Clarifiers at the wastewater treatment plant
3266: Water chambers at the wastewater treatment plant
3272: Science lab at the wastewater treatment plant
3274: Science lab at the wastewater treatment plant
3283: KLSWA headquarters
3289: One of the many lift stations
3294: Control panel at the lift station
3305: Lift station wet well
