GLWA says it must better communicate with public about how water bills are spent
(CBS DETROIT) - The Great Lakes Water Authority said now, more than ever, people are searching for answers about their water. They want to know where the water comes from, how it's treated, and what exactly their water bill is paying for.
"When I started there was not a whole lot of public attention to the drinking water systems, and that has totally changed," said Cheryl Porter, chief operating officer for water and field services for the Great Lakes Water Authority.
Porter has been in the water business for 26 years.
"The biggest change is we are not hidden anymore," she said.
GLWA provides nearly 40% of Michigan's population with water. Porter said they want the public to better understand how they put water bill money to work.
The Water Works Park in Detroit is one of GLWA's five water treatment facilities. Their 13-phase water treatment process starts with pumping in the raw water. The Water Works Park facility gets its water from the Detroit River.
"Right now we have a max capacity of 240 million gallons per day, but we can take that up to 320," said Porter.
Next, the facility adds chemicals into the water and slowly mixes it in a way that causes any dirt to clump together into what they call "residuals."
The residuals are dried out into what looks like mud cakes, and the sludge is taken to a landfill.
The Water Works Park facility is the largest plant in Michigan that uses ozone to disinfect the water, as ozone is 3,000 times more powerful than chlorine.
The facility changes liquid oxygen, or O2, into ozone, which is O3. The ozone is diffused into little bubbles that destroy bacteria, and also help with the water's taste and smell.
"If there's any O3 left by the time it comes to the end of the contactors, we quench it with sodium bisulfite, so we're not releasing any ozone into the atmosphere," said Porter.
The water then goes through final filters, gets additional chemicals, and then is sent out to millions in Southeast Michigan.
Porter said GLWA has to get better at telling the story of the work they do here.
"What your money is going toward. What type of investments are being made, what kind of staffing requirements we have," she said.
Staffing at the Water Works Park facility is 30-35 people working in shifts 24/7. Along with the technicians, electricians, and control room operators, there are also chemists working constantly in the site's laboratory, testing each phase of the water.
The facility also has a pilot plant, which is a mini version of the plant used for research and testing changes to the system.
GLWA is responsible for providing clear water to 3.8 million people, and Porter said they are also working on providing clear communication.
"We have got to get better at telling our story, and communicating before the bills get there," said Porter.