The post World War II residential development in Southeastern Oakland County resulted in additional water customers and increased demands on the individual municipal water systems. The City of Detroit policy, prior to 1959, was to provide water to outside customers at its corporate limits only. Therefore, most of the communities operating a water system that did not have corporate limits contiguous to the Detroit corporate limits were on well supplies.

In 1927, the City of Royal Oak built the North Woodward Avenue Water System. The System was designed to supply Detroit water to Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, the Detroit Zoo and the Rackham Golf Club. The System consisted of the following:

• Pump station located at Livernois and Eight Mile Road

• 1.5 MMG elevated tank at Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue

• 48-inch water main from pump station to elevated tank

  The System was also supplied by Royal Oak wells. By 1948, most of the Southeastern Oakland County communities not obtaining their entire water supply from Detroit were experiencing water shortages during the summer months. In fact, some of the Detroit suburban customers were required to impose lawn sprinkling restrictions.

  The Southeastern Oakland County municipal administrators realized that water must be obtained from a new or an additional source. Lake Huron and Detroit were both given consideration and it was determined that Detroit would be the most practical approach. The administrators also realized that one water system to pump, transport and store would be the most economical to construct and operate. As the result of joint effort, Act Number 196 of the Michigan Public Acts of 1952 was adopted and approved by the Governor in April 1952. The Act permits two or more cities, villages and townships to incorporate to acquire, own and operate a water system. The Act also provides for the corporation to possess all the powers necessary to carry out the purposes of its incorporation. The Corporation may condemn either within or without its corporate limits. The corporation may not tax, must operate from revenue and may issue self-liquidating revenue bonds.