205 N. John Street, Highland Michigan 48357

Wellhead Protection

Wellhead Protection and Watershed Resources

One of the most valuable natural resources in the Township of Highland is our ground water. Not only does it supply homes, businesses and industries with clean water, but it also eventually ends up providing recharge water for our lakes.

Clean recharge water is vital for sustaining the health and water quality of our lakes and streams. Good water quality is also important for maintaining a diverse assortment of plants and animals that live around our lakes and streams.

Keeping our ground water safe is especially important in Highland Township because our community, both businesses and residents, rely on it solely for domestic use. Once pollution reaches the ground water, it is very costly to clean up. For example, Kalamazoo has spent about $3 million on removing solvents from a municipal well supply. The village of Pinckney had to build a new public water well system after solvents from improper practices at a local manufacturing facility contaminated dozens of residents' wells at a cost of over $1 million (Huron River Watershed Council.) Ground water moves very slowly and is absent from sun, some types of microorganisms and warm temperatures. The aforementioned work to clean up or breakdown contaminants into less hazardous or non-hazardous forms. Therefore, it is better not to let contamination of ground water occur in the first place.

A better approach to waiting for a problem to occur is to take a proactive stance to stopping contamination before it starts. Wellhead protection is designed to ensure a safe public water supply as well as protecting our many inland lakes and streams.

And it is not just our groundwater that we rely on.  Highland Township's very identity relies on high quality surface water resources, which provide for the beauty of our surroundings, the many recreational opportunities we enjoy, and the habitat for wildlife.

We take protection of these resources seriously.  Please visit the associated pages for tips and information to help you do what you can to preserve our water quality.

Besides the information contained on this site there is more information material available at the Highland Township Hall. Feel free to stop in and pick up this material or send questions to the e-mail address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

What is wellhead protection?

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How can you help?

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Township Wellhead Map

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