2013 OM Calendar - Indian Health Service

left to right: Joe Burfield, Lee Reyes, AJ Ance, Mike Skzypczak, Joe Huhn, Karmen TwoCrow
GranD TraVerSe reSerVaTIOn:
PeSHaWbeSTOWn anD
TurTLe Creek SySTeMS
Geographic Location: Northwest Lower Michigan
Population Served: Approximately 300 connections
Nominated by: Mark Bader, Tribal Utility Consultant, Bemidji Area Office
The Grand Traverse Band Public Works Department operates and maintains the water and
sewer facilities for the community of Peshawbestown and the Turtle Creek area on the
Grand Traverse Indian Reservation. The water facilities include 8 wells, 3 pumphouses,
and 3 water storage tanks. The wastewater facilities include two sequencing batch reactors,
and 2 collection systems with 8 lift stations. The Public Works Department has recently
acquired a sludge dewatering press, allowing for more flexibility in the land application of
the sludge from the wastewater treatment plants. They have also constructed a septage
receiving station and are recognized as an approved septage waste receiving facility from
the State of MI. Part of the receiving station project installed solar panels to offset the
energy use at the plant.
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Public Works Department was
formed in 1995 with the opening of their first Aqua Aerobic SBR plant in Peshawbestown,
Michigan. Currently, the six man staff operates and maintains two SBR plants and two
community water systems. The longest term employee is Karmen TwoCrow, a member of
the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation) in North Dakota. Karmen
has been employed with the Grand Traverse Band for 27 years, 11 of those years with
Public Works. He is certified in both the water and wastewater field.