MACOMB COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS CANDICE S. MILLER
INTHISISSUE
Message from the Commissioner
Millions of Infrastructure
Funding Secured
Projects Reducing CSO's
No More Sinkholes! Segment 5 & 6 Updates
Maintaining Drains & Improving Water Quality
Critical Component of Economic Prosperity
Our Mission Improve Water Quality Improve Quality of Life TheMacombCountyPublicWorksOfficehasthreegoals: improvewaterquality,improvethequalityoflifeforourresidents,andserveasa criticalcomponentofeconomicdevelopmentinourcommunity.
TheMCPWOadministers474countydrainsthatpreventfloodinginourcommunities. Someofthesedrainsareopenstreamsorcreeks,whileothersaremassive undergroundstructuresthatcarrystormwaterawayfromneighborhoodsand businesses.Givenourresponsibilityforthesewaterways,weareactivelyengagedin numerousinitiativestoenhancetheoverallwaterqualityinourlakesandrivers, mostnotablytheClintonRiverandLakeSt.Clair.Inaddition,weoperate68milesof sanitarysewerlineswhichtransportwastefrommorethan800,000residentsand businessestotheGreatLakesWaterAuthority(GLWA)WaterResourceRecovery Facility(WRRF)forpropertreatment.
Commissioner's Message DearNeighbors,
When it comes to underground infrastructure, 2022 stands to be remembered as the year in which our underground infrastructure in Macomb County received a significant boostitreallyneeds.
We all remember the sinkhole that occurred on December 2016on15MileRoadinFraser,oneweekbeforeItookoffice. I’mcommittedtodoingwhateverwecantopreventanother such disaster from occurring. Quite frankly, we can’t afford another large sinkhole. Underground infrastructure may be outofsightbutcannotbeoutofmind.
Wehaverepeatedlyemphasizedtheneedtoinvestinourstormwaterandwastewater systems.ImetwithandlobbiedeverymemberofMacombCounty’sdelegationintheMichigan Legislatureandotherleadersinstategovernment,aswellasourCongressionaldelegation.My managementteamandIhavestressedtheimportanceofinvestinginourunderground infrastructureinpresentationsandmeetingswithMacombCountyExecutiveMarkHackeland thecountyBoardofCommissioners.
I’mproudtosaythatasofthiswriting,theMacombCountyPublicWorksOfficehassecured federal,stateandcountyfundingwithalevelofinvestmentinasingleyearisunprecedented. It’sallpartofourmissionatPublicWorkstoimprovewaterquality,qualityoflifeandbeingakey componentofeconomicdevelopmentandprosperity.
Investinginourundergroundinfrastructureisexpensive.Butnotdoingsocouldinevitablyprove muchcostlier,notonlyfinanciallybutintherisktopropertyaswell.Iapplaudofficialsatthe county,stateandfederallevelswhohavethepoliticalwillandseethewisdomtoaddress undergroundinfrastructureinanimpactfulwaynotonlyintheshortterm,butfordecadesto come.
Beingsuccessfulinobtainingthesefederal,stateandcountyfundsmeansthattheseneeded improvementswon’trequireustopassarateincreasetocoverthem. Moredetailsabouthowthatfundingwillbeapplied,andotherregularactivitiesandservices providedbyouroffice,canbefoundinthisreport.YoucanalsocheckouttheMacombCounty PublicWorkspageatmacombgov.org.
Sincerely,
MAINTAINING DRAINS TO PREVENT FLOODING & IMPROVE WATER QUALITY OngoingdrainmaintenancebytheMacombCountyPublicWorksOfficehelpsensure properdrainage,reducestheriskofflooding,andimproveswaterquality.
Logjamsanddebriscanimpedetheflowofstormwaterandsnowmeltinanyofthe401 milesofopendrains–streams,creeksandotheropenchannels–undertheMCPWO’s jurisdiction.Thoseobstructionscanerodethebanks,causingmoretreestofallintothe waterandincreasestheriskofflooding.Naturaldebrisalsocausesalgaeproblems whichimpactswaterquality.
Ourdrainmaintenanceteamhasworkedonover100drainsthisyear,including:the GibsonandPlumbrookdrains,bothinSterlingHeights;theHarringtonDraininClinton Township;theNicholDrain,PingleDrainandtheSaltSlangGloedeDraininMacomb Township;andtheShaferDrainandtheLambertDrainRichmondTownship.Afterlogs anddebrisarepulledout,sedimentisremovedandplacedonthebanks,gradedand toppedwithabedoftopsoil,grassseedandamulchblanket.
Fiveyearsago,PublicWorksCommissionerCandiceS.Millerlaunchedanewprogramin whichfundingfromthecountyismatchedbylocalmunicipalitiestopayfortheclean outofproblemspotsindrainsintheirrespectivecity,townshiporvillage.Duringthat time,ourofficehasworkedwithofficialsineverycommunity.
“WeappreciatetheyearlyallocationthatthecountyBoardofCommissionershasmade towardthisprogramintheirbudget,”Millersaid.
Fundingfromgrantsandpriorassessmentstoinspect,maintainandimproveourdrains havealsobeenused.
Macomb Township Before After Pingle Drain Clean Out Constructioncontinuesatcompanion undergroundprojectstoensurethatanother sinkholedisasterdoesnotoccurinthe massivesewerthatcarriesthesanitary sewagefromnearly600,000peoplefrom11 ofMacombCounty’scommunities.
Inside“Segment5”oftheMacomb InterceptorDrainalong15MileRoadwestof SchoenherrtoHayesRoad,crewsare removingsedimenttoprepareforthe installationofimperviouslininginthewidest stretchofthepipenearSchoenherrRoadin SterlingHeights,andpouringconcretewalls inthe70-foot-deepshaftforapermanent pumpstation.Wheretheinterceptornarrows to8feetindiameternearHayesRoad,crews havebeguntosprayapolymerontheinside ofthepipetoprotectitfromfurther degradation.
NO MORE SINKHOLES Segment5& Segment6 Rehabilitation ProjectUpdates At“Segment6”on15MilenearGarfieldRoad, slip-liningwiththeimperviousliner–known asHOBAS–continues.
“Investinginourundergroundinfrastructure isnecessarytogreatlyreducetheriskof similardisastersthatwouldthreatennot onlyhomesandbusinesses,butalsothe environment,”MacombCountyPublicWorks CommissionerCandiceS.Millersaid.
“Wecan’taffordtohave anothermajorsinkholelike theonethatoccurredinFraser inlate2016–oneoftheworst infrastructurecollapsesin Michigan -Commissionerhistory.”Candice
S. Miller PROJECTS REDUCING COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS (CSO'S) TheMacombCountyPublicWorksOffice continuestomakesteadyprogresswithprojects thathave--orwilluponcompletion--reduce combinedseweroverflows.Theseprojects includeIn-SystemStoragedevices,anewpump stationandoperationalchanges.
Forexample,operationalchangesbystaff includingreplacementofmanholecoversatthe ChapatonPumpStationenabledustomorefully utilizethecapacityofthesystemincludingthe largeinterceptorthatcarriescombinedstorm waterflowandsanitarysewageinSt.Clair ShoresandEastpointe.
“Fordecades,CSO’sweretoooftenshruggedoff andacceptedbymanyfolksaslongasthe dischargesmetstateguidelines.However,we don’tneedtokeeplivingthisway,”Macomb CountyPublicWorksCommissionerCandiceS. Millersaid.“Wecan’tkeeppushingthisproblem ontothenextgenerationhopingtheymight solveit.”
Overall, when completed our projects will reduce CSO’s in to Lake St. Clair by approximately 80%!
Otherkeyprojectsinvariousstagesof planning,designorconstruction:
”In-systemstorage”inthedrainage districtservingEastpointeandSt. ClairShores.Abladdertobe installedthisyearupstreaminthe8 ½MileDraininterceptorwillbe inflatedasnecessarytotemporary holdbacktheflowbeforereleasing itdownstreamtotheGreatLakes WaterAuthorityfacilityinDetroitfor fulltreatment.Thebladderandthe operationalchangewillprovide12 milliongallonsofadditionalstorage andreduceCSO’sby36%.
MartinReliefDrainin-system storage,usingaweirtotemporarily holdbackflowreducingCSO'sby 20%annually.
AnewpumpstationonNineMileat JeffersonAvenue,nexttothe ChapatonPumpStation. Rehabilitationofthecanalthat leadsfromtheChapatonRetention TreatmentBasintoLakeSt.Clair, providing 10milliongallonsof additionalstoragetoreduceCSO's by30%.
FUNDING SECURED FORCRITICAL INFRASTRUCTUREPROJECTS INMACOMBCOUNTY IN2022, COMMISSIONER MILLERHAS SECURED FUNDINGFROM FEDERAL,STATE ANDCOUNTY SOURCES. The conditions of roads and bridges get a lot of attention, and rightfully so. But road flooding, basement flooding, sewer collapses and sinkholes are harsh reminders that we cannot forget our undergroundinfrastructureeither.
Emergency measures and inspecting, repairing, rehabbing or replacing our waste water systems is expensive. It also requires the political will to make thoseinvestments.
Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice S. Miller has emphasized the need to invest inourundergroundinfrastructureinordertoprevent thesewercollapses–liketheonethatoccurredon15 Mile Road in Fraser in December 2016 shortly before she took office – from occurring again. Officials at the county, state and federal levels have listened, andagreed.
"Investments in our infrastructure improve water quality, quality of life and can prevent environmental disasters." - Commissioner Candice S. Miller $72millionallocationfromtheState ofMichiganinfederalAmerican RescuePlanAct(ARPA)fundingfor Segment5,Segment6and9Mile PumpStationthankstohelpfromour statedelegation.
$6.5millionthankstoour CongressionalDelegation.That moneywillbeappliedtoour“InSystemStorage”projectforthe81/2 MileDraindistricttoreducecombined seweroverflowsintoLakeSt.Clair, an In-SystemStorageprojectinthe MartinSanitaryDraindistrict,serving RosevilleandpartofSt.ClairShores andfortheSegment6Rehabilitation ProjectservingtheMIDD.
Inaddition,thePublicWorksOfficeis anticipatingARPAfundsfromtheCounty ExecutiveMarkHackel&theMacomb CountyBoardofCommissioners.
CRITICAL COMPONENT OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY HartDrain-StillwaterCrossing MacombTownship Beforegroundbreakingonneweconomic developmentoccurs,theMacombCounty PublicWorksOfficereviewsengineering plansofparcelslargeandsmall,toensure properstormwaterdrainage.Duringground construction,ourinspectorsmonitorthe progress,includingimprovementsofopen channels,newbasinsandinstallationof sewerpipes,culvertsandmanholes.Each processexemplifieshowthePublicWorks Officeisakeycomponenttofoster economicdevelopmentandprosperity.
Forexample,ourinspectorscheckedthe majorimprovementstotheHartDrainin MacombTownshipthatwillaccommodate upcomingphasesofhomeconstructionat StillwaterCrossing,alargeresidential developmentwithhundredsofplanned homesjustnorthof23MileRoad,eastof NorthAvenue.
“Thistypeofdrainwillserveanew neighborhoodforgenerations–onwhat hadbeenasodfarmformanyyears,”Public WorksCommissionerCandiceS.Millersaid.
Justasthefoundationof anynewlyconstructed homeisextremely importantforthe structureitself,theproper designandconstruction ofstormwaterdrainage isthefoundationof infrastructure improvement.
Whetherit’sthedrillingoftapsinto existingsewerpipes,installationof culverts,shapingbankstoensureproper drainageortheplacementoflimestone bouldersknownas“riprap”toprevent erosion–andensuringit’salldone correctly-issomethingwetakevery seriously.
Youcantrackhowmuchprecipitationhas falleninyourareabycheckingthe MacombCountyPublicWorksOffice’s onlinedatafromourdepartment’srain gauges.
In2021,wecompletedtheinstallationof22 raingaugesacrossthecounty.Thenearreal-timedatacanbeviewedonan interactivemaponthePublicWorks websitemainpage.
plansforreviewby
