Construction on Thompson Road set to begin in the spring
PHOTO Dakota Naganashe
February 9, 2022
Fenton Township is planning to install a municipal water system around Thompson Road with construction predicted to start in Spring of 2022. The water project is estimated to cost around $23.5 million dollars with Genesee County contributing $6.5 million, Hannah Ball of the Tri-County Times reported. Although it won’t completely cover costs, Fenton is hoping to find other ways to foot the bill through bonds and find other avenues to pay for this water system.
The municipal water system is being installed to solve Fenton’s decade-long arsenic issue as arsenic has been linked to cancer, according to the World Health Organization.
According to Michigan Live, over 90 percent of the private wells tested in Fenton Township have arsenic levels that went over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards as the wells averaged 22 parts per billion (ppb) of arsenic. This would be more than double the current standard of 10 ppb as reported by the EPA.
Vince Lorraine, supervisor over the project called the Thompson Rd. area an “ideal location for substantial economic growth.” There also were the reasons business may have been dissuaded from building around that location previously would’ve been the lack of a water system and concerns of fire hazard and water quality.
Both issues with the fire hazard and water quality would eventually be addressed upon the completion of the project. Two phases for the project have been announced: Phase 1A which will be the creation of a water tower near Fenton and Thompson road and Phase 1B which will be completed with a water tower near U.S. 23 northbound and Thompson Road ramps, according to Tricounty Times.
The estimated date of completion has yet to be announced. According to MLive, it’s to be done in four separate phases. The project is intended to help improve water worries for residents while also creating a more enticing economic investment to help Fenton and surrounding communities for the future.
