Beaver Island

Problem:

Provide secure wastewater containment to meet stringent Michigan Department of Environmental Quality regulations, on Beaver Island located in Lake Michigan, 30 miles off the Charlevoix coastline.
 

Solution:

Call Environmental Protection, Inc.! Robert Gillespie, contractor for E.W. Marine did just that. 

The new E.W. Marine development includes boat storage, a vehicle wash facility and a laundry to serve the island and the town of St. James. Beaver Island is a resort community of 3,000 in the summer, and only 500 hardy souls in the winter, and is located in northern Lake Michigan. The island is accessible by a 15 minute airplane ride or a two hour excursion on one of two ferries operated by the Beaver Island Boat Company.

Michigan DEQ requirements for the wastewater treatment ponds were a 40 mil PVC geomembrane with a compacted clay or Geosynthetic Clay Liner secondary liner. Since proper quality clay was not available on the island, a GCL was the only affordable solution.

Designed by Gourdie/Fraser & Associates of Traverse City, MI, the wastewater treatment system required two ponds, each 90 feet by 90 feet and 8 feet deep.  EPI fabricated two one-piece liners of 40 mil PVC, each 118 feet square.  Although each panel weighed 3,925 pounds, the one piece liners eliminated any field welding of panels and made installation simple and quick.

Robert Gillespie sent his flat bed truck from Beaver Island to Charlevoix on the Emerald Isle ferry.  Then on to EPI's facility in Mancelona. There, 12 rolls of Bentomat ST GCL were loaded on the truck along with tools and accessories to install the composite liner system.  The following day, the truck made the return ferry crossing to Beaver Island. The two PVC panels were shipped to the boat dock and also traveled via ferry to the island.

On Monday morning, September 18, Mark Wolschon and two EPI technicians, flew to the island via Island Airways from Charlevoix. They arrived on site at 9 AM and proceeded with assisting Gillespie's crew with installation of the GCL in the first pond, which was completed by noon. They then installed the 40 mil PVC panel and proceeded to the second pond. The GCL and PVC were installed in the second pond by 7 PM that evening.

The following morning, after a brief rain, the EPI crew installed boots to seal the four pipes coming into each pond.  And after a brief tour of the island, they returned to Charlevoix by air, and to EPI by truck, and were home in time for supper.

 

For more information call 800-OK-LINER today!