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Some Coles Creek Road residents who have been without water for a month brought their case to the Houghton County Board of Commissioners last week.
The homes were served by a small, off-the-books private water system using an Artesian well that had been in place for decades.
A contractor working on Father’s Day Flood road repairs encountered a leaking pipe that feeds the system under the roadway. The contractor says they tried to repair the pipe, and find out who owned it, but were unsuccessful on both counts.
Eventually, they removed more than 200 feet of the pipe, so road construction could continue. That shut off water delivery to the homes.
Residents say they were prepared to address the problem, but were not notified.
The road commission says it did not authorize the cutoff. Residents, including Bruce Woodry, maintain otherwise…
Woodry says they need immediate help…
They also need a long-term fix. Commissioners were sympathetic, but had few options to offer. Other than appointing its members, the county board has no authority over the road commission, or its contractors.
Residents asked if the county could organize a new, on-the-books water system for the homes, but authority to do that rests exclusively with municipalities. Some of the homes are in Adams Township, and some are in Stanton Township. The nearest existing municipal water lines are miles away.
Residents asked if the county could back a loan that would allow them to drill private wells, and pay for them over time. Commissioners noted that they are not legally allowed to use public money for such private projects.
The saga continues.
