Water

Georgetown Water Facts

  • The water system has a storage capacity of 13 millions gallons.
  • On a peak summer day, we consume 15 million gallons of water in one day!
  • During the winter, we consume 75 million gallons of water in one month.
  • We regularly test our water to assume drinking safety, the results of which can be found in the Water Quality Report under Quick Links on this page.
  • Does your utility bill seem abnormally high? Check for leaks! Toilets, sinks, and sprinkling systems that are not maintained will often develop leaks.
  • Want to know more about your water meter or the meter upgrades taking place throughout the Township? Click here to go to an FAQ page about our water meters.

Leaks 

Checking for Leaks
The most common culprit of household leaks tends to be the toilet. To test for leaks in a toilet, color the water in the flush tank with food coloring. Do not use the toilet for a few hours. If the colored water appears in the bowl or disappears from the flush tank, adjustments or repairs are needed. 

Another way to check for leaks is by making sure no water is being used when all devices are off. To check for this, turn off all faucets and connections. Read the meter and make note of the reading. Do not use any water for an hour or so, then read your meter again. If the second reading is higher than the first, you have a leak in your system that needs to be addressed.

If Your Water Meter is Leaking
Find the source of the leak. If the system is leaking near a nut that you can tighten above the meter, tighten it a quarter turn, then wait a couple hours and see if the leaking stops. If it has slowed, but has not stopped completely, tighten the bolt another quarter turn.

If the meter itself is leaking, call the Township and we will arrange for an employee in public works to come assist you.


Why is my Water Shut Off? 

Your water may be off for a couple of reasons. Rarely, the Township Public Works Department needs to work on a water main and will have to shut off the water for a section of houses temporarily. 
 
If you live in a condo or apartment complex where several units are serviced by one water line, the housing management may have shut the water off to address water issues in a unit adjacent to yours.


Wells and Well Water

Wells are permitted through the Ottawa County Health Department. Georgetown will have no records of wells, nor can we permit wells to be dug. Click here to visit Ottawa County's Environmental Health website about well permits. Please understand that while wells are permitted even if public water is available, public sanitary sewer is not optional if it is available. If sanitary sewer is, or becomes, available, the residence must be connected to public sewer.