Sewer at
Miner Lake
Lake Living Without Limitations
↑ Increase your independence
↑ Improve the health of the lake
Fewer Restrictions
Long-term Solution
Improved Water Quality
With an individual septic system:
You are at the mercy of
Mother Nature and the Health Department.
An aging or undersized septic system:
- Limits your ability to use as much water as you want. No long showers, soaking tubs, or back-to-back loads of laundry.
- Limits your ability to host guests. Tired of debating how many people you can have over because of your system?
- Limits your ability to flush after rainy days. Port-a-Potties or “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” aren’t fun or sanitary.
- Limits your ability to do laundry. Tired of having to haul baskets of dirty laundry to the laundromat or back home?
- Limits your ability to sell. If your system doesn’t pass inspection, your sale gets complicated and your sale price will be impacted.
- Limits your ability to build. Whether you want to add on, add an outbuilding, or plant a tree, your current system decreases how you can use your land.
- Limits your ability to budget. When your system fails, any possible replacement is a 5-figure expense that has to be paid now. You’ll either have to pay out of pocket or borrow at market rates.
Sewer is: Good for you. Good for the lake.
More Freedom
With sewer in place, the restrictions on how you use your property will dramatically decrease. You’ll be able to host, plant, flush, build, park, shower, sell… You won’t have to worry about the health department, the home inspector, or Mother Nature telling you what you can and can’t do.
Long-Term Solution
(and payment plan)
With sewer in place, you can stop altering your lifestyle and worrying about whether your system is going to make it another year. Sewer is a lifelong solution that you and future generations can rely on.
It’s almost certain that our project will qualify for a “Rural Development Loan.” Interest rates will be below market and the payment schedule will be over 40 years (appearing on your township tax bill).
Higher-Quality Water
Many factors impact the water quality of Miner Lake. But aging and undersized septic systems built on poor-quality soil are unquestionably having a negative impact. Everything that goes down our drains — from human waste to medications to micro-plastics — is harmful to Miner Lake. Sewer will remove those threats and let the lake heal.
We get it. Not everyone agrees about sewer.
Different residents have different opinions and concerns.
The Miner Lake Property Owners Association Board, the Miner Lake Improvement Board, the Allegan Township Board, and the Allegan County Health Department all view sewer at Miner Lake as a good thing for the residents and the lake itself.
However, we also want to make sure those who have questions or concerns can voice them. Everyone in leadership is committing to providing clear, fact-based answers to anyone who asks for clarification. Association and Township Board Meetings are open to public comment.
We’re all neighbors who love the lake. Please let us know what you’re thinking.
Positive comments residents have made about sewer:
Thank you for the clear information and pursuing the grant options.
I know there are lots of factors that contribute to the lake’s quality, but getting rid of these old systems has got to help.
I have limited options for a replacement system and pump and haul will not work for our family.
I look forward to getting rid of the ugly mound and reclaiming our yard.
The thing I’m most excited about is being able to do laundry or take a long shower without needing to check the weather forecast.
We should have done this years ago, thank you for all the work to move this forward.
Septic systems at Miner Lake are… not ideal.
A review of publicly available records at the Allegan County Health Department revealed:
Click here to read the Miner Lake Sewer Feasibility Study — 2022, prepared by Fleis & Vandenbrink. The study includes maps that show: Age of System | Type of System | Location of Elevated Systems
Engineers have identified
Three Possible Sewer Solutions
Option A:
Treatment by Allegan City Wastewater Plant
- Wastewater sent to Allegan City
- Small-diameter, pressurized sewer
- Directional drilling
- Individual grinder pumps
- Monthly wastewater treatment fee set by Allegan City
Option B:
Treatment in a Local Lagoon
- Wastewater sent to a lagoon within 2.5 miles
- Small-diameter, pressurized sewer
- Directional drilling
- Individual grinder pumps
- Monthly wastewater treatment fee set by a service contractor
Option C:
Treatment in a Local, Community Drainfields
- Wastewater sent to two, community-sized drain fields within 2.5 miles
- Small-diameter, pressurized sewer
- Directional drilling
- Individual grinder pumps
- Monthly wastewater treatment fee set by a service contractor
You should be part of these conversations.
Meeting: Miner Lake Association
8:30 a.m., Saturday, May 27 at the Allegan Township Hall
We’ll hold our annual spring meeting. Sewer will be topic of discussion, as will a number of other issues.
Meeting: Allegan Township
7:30 p.m., Monday, June 6 at the Allegan Township Hall
The Miner Lake Sewer project is one item on the agenda for this monthly Township meeting. Attendees may speak publicly for up to 2 minutes.
Meeting: Miner Lake Association
8:30 a.m., Saturday, September 3 at the Allegan Township Hall
We’ll hold our annual fall meeting. Sewer will be a topic of discussion, as will a number of other issues.
Meeting: Miner Lake Association
8:30 a.m., Saturday, May 28 at the Allegan Township Hall
We’ll hold our annual spring meeting. Sewer will be a topic of discussion, as will a number of other issues.
Questions people ask whenever we talk about sewer.
Still have questions? Plan to attend an upcoming meeting where subject-matter experts and local leaders can answer them.
What is the project going to cost?
The estimated project costs depend on the option chosen (see Feasibility Study). Before any grant funds, the three possible solutions range from $9.5M to $12.5M.
What criteria did you use to determine who is in the district?
The proposed district is not final, but it was created with these principles in mind:
- Consider properties bordering the lake
- Consider properties with soils not conducive to on-site treatment
- Consider excluding properties that meet full Allegan Health Department regulations – without the need for variances or concessions
There is the opportunity for properties to be added and we are open to considering justification for the exclusion of select properties based on these principles (within the bounds of any state or federal regulations).
Will I have to pay if the parcel I own is empty?
The final details will be specified in the project plan, but we expect parcels that do not have a serviceable structure (water supply and waste collection) are not required to pay the district assessment. However, in the future, if a serviceable structure is built, it will be assessed for a share of the project cost.
Note: Many property owners on Miner Lake have adjacent but split parcels. It is recommended that those parcels be legally combined into a single parcel.
Is there available funding from the federal “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act”?
While the estimated project cost did not assume state or federal funds, the feasibility study does include potential options for grant or government funding.
What is more likely is the USDA Rural Development Water & Environmental Program which offers:
- 40-year term low-interest loans (Allegan Township would quality
- Grants up to 75% (note: it is unlikely we would qualify for much above 25%)
The guidelines for ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) allow local governments to apply their funds toward infrastructure projects such as wastewater or sewer. While not required to do so, the Allegan Township Board has expressed a willingness to apply a significant portion of the $465,000 received to a project on Miner Lake.
What engineering firm is preparing the plans?
The Allegan Township Boards selected Fleis & Vandenbrink to perform the feasibility study. The board will determine what firm is selected to complete any grant application(s) and final project plan.
When would construction start?
The exact start date is dependent on the final engineering plan and/or grant process, but it is unlikely to begin until late 2024 or early 2025.
Who will own the system and be responsible for maintaining in the future?
Maintenance of the system will be performed by professionals, either from the City of Allegan or a firm contracted by Allegan Township.
How does the plan protect against development of the East End?
The proposed sewer district does not include “the East End” (undeveloped portion) of Miner Lake. Additionally, that land is unlikely to be developed given the nature of the soil and the Michigan EGLE designation as “Emergent Wetland.”
Won't we end up with more boats on the lake because people will build bigger homes?
We all appreciate the many great benefits of having property on Miner Lake, and one of those is that the lake is rarely overcrowded.
That said, there is currently no indication that the size of a house correlates to increased use of the lake. In fact, our experience from a prior assessment indicated many of the property owners in the larger homes were older and tended to use the lake less. Often, their use was limited to a pontoon boat or fishing boat.
Won't sewer mean more homes will be built?
In response to prior concern about uncontrolled development on Miner Lake, the Miner Lake leadership and Allegan Township Board have worked to establish reasonable zoning, minimum lake frontage for a dock, and anti-funneling ordinances. These actions were designed to prevent build-out on “back-lots” while respecting the rights of property owners to build on their own individual lots.
In the years since they were established, the ordinances have proven effective and the installation of sewer should not change that.
For the very few vacant lots on Miner Lake, a sewer project might allow the property owners to build if they choose to do so. However, any new construction would be subject to the established ordinances.
Will I be required to hook up?
How will the waste be treated?
- Alternative 1: Miner Lake Pressure Sewer System / City of Allegan Treatment
- Alternative 2: Pressure Sewer System / Township Lagoon
- Alternative 3: Pressure Sewer System / Township Septic / Drainfield System
The final engineering plan and/or grant process will further define the best option.
What will I be charged for monthly treatment?
The Miner Lake leadership has repeatedly advocated for rates that reflect usage differences between seasonal and year-round residents. The exact details are still to be determined.
If I have a current system, will it need to be removed?
You will have the option of removing the system or abandoning it in place according to Allegan Health Department guidelines (likely crushing and backfilling old tanks).
We have done our best to answer these questions honestly. However, things may change as the project progresses. If we learn that any of these answers are incomplete or no longer accurate, we will update this page with new information as it becomes available.
© MLPOA