A long-awaited water tower that will help alleviate user demand in Garfield Township could be up and running by November. Township officials this month approved a $54,000 purchase agreement for three acres of property off Cedar Run Road west of Harris Road for the construction of the million-dollar tower.

"Ever since (Traverse City) West Senior High went in, there's been a tremendous amount of growth in the northwest part of the township," says Garfield Township Supervisor Chuck Korn. "We don't have enough water storage for everything that's going in." Korn says some recent commercial developments, including the new 4Front Credit Union on West Front Street, were only approved by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality "based on the understanding there would be additional water capacity in the near future."

Korn says the property site is "partially wooded, so the tower would be hidden for the most part," and also has enough elevation to "provide good pressure." When work is finished, a complete loop of water lines will provide connections that go down to Front Street, ensuring that "if there's ever a break in the line, we have the ability to move water in from a separate location," says Korn.

The township will likely begin an RFQ process for the project soon, with funding available in a dedicated account fed by water user rates. Korn says the goal is to have the tower finished "before the onset of winter."