Michigan township decides to limit the amount of water it will give residents who's wells are contaminted by local landfill

September 11, 2007 - After listening to nearly three-and-half-hours of passionate comments, the Cedar Creek Township Board passed an ordinance that could limit how much water residents that are affected by contamination will get for free.

The board unanimously passed the ordinance that would start charging residents a fee after using 95 gallons of water per day per person living in the household. The ordinance allows Wexford County to move forward with remediation plans with the state. But the move came under the threat of a lawsuit.

Jeffery Jocks, an attorney with Olson, Bzdok and Howard of Traverse City, said he would need to weigh the options before filing an unconstitutional taking of property lawsuit against the township. Jocks, who represents residents suing the county because of contamination of groundwater from the county landfill, said his firm sent a notice to the township board that it may sue if the board passed the ordinance at its meeting.

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