To the editor:
Over the last year, I’ve spent a lot of time learning about the proposed sewer project for Higgins Lake, where I have a home several blocks off the lake. I’ve seen a lot of statements by individuals who are opposed to the sewer, and I just wanted to share another perspective.
I support the sewer because Higgins Lake is a place I love and want to protect the Lake and my neighbors. I have been swimming and boating in Higgins for over 50 years, and the excessive algae and weed growth are heartbreaking. There are numerous studies of Higgins and other Michigan waterways showing that septics are an increasing problem, but I don’t need studies. I can easily see the changes for myself.
I support the sewer because I’m a mom, and I want to protect the health of my kids. Excess nutrients aren’t the only problem coming from septics; septic systems are also letting dangerous forever chemicals (PFAS/PFOS), viruses, bacteria, and nitrates into the water we swim in and drink.
I also support the sewer as a homeowner. I’d rather pay a manageable monthly sewer cost like they do at Camp Curnalia than be hit with thousands of dollars to replace my septic if it fails. I also like the idea of not having to worry anymore about my septic getting overwhelmed, backing up at some inconvenient time, having to be pumped, etc.
We can’t afford to do nothing. We have an opportunity now to fix this problem before we might be forced to, and waiting will just make the problem more expensive to fix. I believe that when a Higgins Lake sewer was proposed in the seventies, it would have cost something like $1,200/owner. Now it is much more. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past.
Catherine Vary Voigt
Higgins Lake
