FAQs
Stormwater and Sewer
White Lake Township does not offer separate meters for residential customers at this time.
In order to maintain the integrity of the sewer system, White Lake hires the contractor for pressure sewer installation and grinder pumps. However, if it is a gravity sewer extention the resident/owner is permitted to hire their own contractor.
No, your sewer bill payment goes to Oakland County. To pay your invoice online visit https://www.oakgov.com/water.
Oakland County water resource accepts checks and money orders in person or through the mail, cash in person only. Visa and MasterCard payments can be made online with no fee at the water resource center. You can have your sewer bill automatically paid from your checking or savings account. Just print out page one of this form, complete it and return to the Water Resources Commissioner's office. If you have more than one account, list additional accounts on page two.
If available, sewer is defined as one within 200' of the subject structure, per ordinance 108 the house, building or structure must connect to the sewer line/system.
Grinder pumps have been used for over 25 years, with the average required service call being approximately once every seven years.
No. Our responsibility does not extend past the utility easement onto private property but we will assist you in determining if you have a leak in your line.
The expanded hours of operation are 7:30 am and 6:00 pm Monday thru Friday.
In the event that a grinder pump fails, an alarm on the control box sounds an audible alarm as well as a flashing light. The audible alarm can be turned off by a switch on the box, but the light continues to flash. The homeowner can then call the Water Resources Commission for repairs.
The sewer system is designed with a series of valves which allow for breaks in the system to be isolated. Depending on the location of the break, only a small percentage of the residence will be affected. Once a break is discovered, the Oakland County Water Resources Commission will come out and excavate around the break and repair it.
If there is a power failure, then water should be used sparingly. There will be some storage in the pump tank (30-60 gallons) so some water can be used. However, most water usage, such as a shower and washing clothes, should cease. Residents that have well water are not as affected since without power, well pumps are also not operational. Experience has found that power failures have not been a significant source of complaints by users.
A pressure sewer system consists of lateral sewers which operate under pressure and grinder pumps at each building which pump sanitary waste into the sewers. The sewers are usually 2” to 6” in diameter and are around 6 feet deep. A grinder pump grinds any solids in the waste water, directs the waste water under pressure to the public sewer, and check valves prevent the waste water under pressure from backing up into your home.
Stormwater is generated by rainwater and snowmelt runoff from streets, parking lots, building rooftops, lawns, farms, construction sites, industrial sites and many other aspects of the landscape. This runoff picks up fertilizers, dirt, pesticides, oil and grease, and many other pollutants on the way to our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Stormwater runoff is our most common cause of water pollution.
Sanitary sewers remove waste products from your home and send them underground to a treatment plant. Storm drains gather rain and storm runoff and direct them to wetlands and lakes. Ditches and curb line grates are considered storm drains. Sanitary manholes have solid round covers. The two systems are not connected in White Lake Township.
Sewer is charged quarterly in White Lake Township, for both gravity and pressure. The Water Resources Commission handles all billing for the Township. Please contact Water Resources Commission for current rates (248) 858-1110 or White Lake Township Water & Sewer Department (248) 698-7700 extension 8.The only extra cost for pressure sewer is for the electricity to operate the pump.
Anywhere outside your home as long as the first place it hits the ground is at least 20 feet from the road to avoid icing in the winter. Underground connections into the storm drain (below the curb) requires a permit from the county.
White Lake Township currently contracts with Contractor for the installation of all grinder pumps. The Water Resources Commission maintains all the grinder pumps for White Lake Township once they are installed.
A pressure sewer is an alternate to a gravity sewer. For the following reasons, pressure sewers usually are found to be the most appropriate for existing neighborhoods:
1. Pressure sewers can be installed with very little disruption to the neighborhood. In most cases, they are installed by the directional bore method which required little excavation. Gravity sewers, on the other hand, require extensive excavation and thus cause much more damage to the streets and landscaping. Streets must be re-paved after a gravity sewer is installed.
2. The cost of a pressure sewer can be less than the cost of gravity sewer due to lesser restoration costs that would have otherwise been expended with the installation of gravity sewer.
