Macomb County Public Works 2024 Winter Report
CANDICE S. MILLER
MACOMB COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS COMMISSIONER
IN THIS ISSUE:
Message from the Commissioner, Reducing Combined Sewage Overflows, Electrical Upgrades, Logs removed from the Clinton River, NO MORE SINKHOLES
Pictured:ChapatonCanalRehabilitationproject
TheMacombCountyPublicWorksOfficehasthreegoals: Improvewaterquality,improvethequalityoflifeforourresidents,andserveasacritical componentofeconomicprosperityinourcommunity.
TheMCPWOadministers475countydrainsthatpreventfloodinginourcommunities. Someofthesedrainsareopenstreamsorcreeks,whileothersaremassiveunderground structuresthatcarrystormwaterawayfromneighborhoodsandbusinesses.Givenour responsibilityforthesewaterways,weareactivelyengagedinnumerousinitiativesto enhancetheoverallwaterqualityinourlakesandrivers,mostnotablytheClintonRiver andLakeSt.Clair.Inaddition,weoperate68milesofsanitarysewerlineswhich transportwastefrommorethan800,000residentsandbusinessestotheGreatLakes WaterAuthority(GLWA)WaterResourceRecoveryFacility(WRRF)forpropertreatment.
DearNeighbors,
AttheMacombCountyPublicWorksOffice,2024isshapinguptobeanotherexcitingand productiveyearinwhichwecontinuetobuilduponoursuccesses.Ourgoalremainsthe same:Improvingwaterqualitytoimprovethequalityoflifeandbeingakeycomponentof economicprosperity.Amajorelementofthatmissionistocontinuetoreducecombined seweroverflows(CSOs)intoourbeautifulLakeSt.Clair.
Ourofficehasjurisdictionof475drains,including330milesofencloseddrainsand401 milesofopenchannels.Lastyear,weworkedindrainsineverycommunityinMacomb County.Drainmaintenanceisextremelyimportanttoachieveproperstormwater drainagetoreducetheriskoffloodinganderosion,andtohavesufficientflowthat protectswaterquality.Thanksinlargeparttoourcost-sharingprogramwithparticipating communities,ourdrainmaintenanceteamremovedlogjams,sedimentandovergrown vegetationfromopendrainssuchassmallcreeksandstreams.Thatsortofworkis endless.
Inthisreport,wehaveupdatesonourongoingprojectsthatwillsignificantlyreduceCSOs plusaprogressreportonsomeofourmajorundergroundsewerinfrastructureprojects, thataresocriticaltomaintainingourinterceptorsinexcellentworkingcondition.
Iremaincommittedtotransparencyabouttheservicesandtasksperformedbyour dedicatedteamatthePublicWorksOfficeweekinandweekout,andtheimportant projectsthatweplan,implementandoversee.
Foradditionalinformation,visitusatmacombgov.org,followusonsocialmediaand subscribetooure-newsletter.
Sincerely,
In-System Storage Project
Reducing CSOsinto LakeSt.Clair
AnundergroundinfrastructureprojectonBeaconsfieldRoadnearNineMileRoadinEastpointe toreducecombinedsewerdischargesintoLakeSt.Clairisnearingthefinalphaseof construction.
Knownasthe“In-SystemStorage”project,ithasinvolvedexcavationoftheshafttoreacha sectionoftheinterceptorsewerinthe8½MileReliefDraindistrictthathandlescombined stormwaterandrawsewageflows.
Alarge,inflatabledamisbeinginstalledinsidethe11-foot-diameterpipe.Duringheavyrain, MacombCountyPublicWorksengineersandpumpstationoperatorswillbeabletoinflatethe rubberdevicetotemporarilyholdbacktheflowtostoreflowsinthepipeitself.Whentherain eventsubsides,therubberbladdercanbeslowlydeflatedandallowthecombinedflowto continuedownstreamtotheGreatLakesWaterAuthoritywastewatertreatmentcenterin
“Thisongoingprojectstartedwithanalysisbyourengineerstodeterminewhetherwecoulduse existinginfrastructuretoreducethechancesofbasementfloodingandhavelesscombined flowbedischargedintoLakeSt.Clairduringheavyrainstorms,”PublicWorksCommissioner
Withnoincreaseinsewerrates,theprojectwillprovide12milliongallonsofadditionalstorage withinthesewersystemandwillreduceCSOsbetween11%and15%.
Chapaton Electrical Upgrades & Canal Expansion
ConstructionisproceedingontheexpansionoftheChapaton CanalatthefootofNineMileRoadinSt.ClairShores,amajor projectthat,whencompleted,willreducecombinedsewer overflowsbyapproximately38%andwillhelpprotectagainst basementflooding.
Theprojectinvolvesexcavationofaportionoftheexistingcanal andinstallationofmetalsheetingtoraisethesidesofthecanal toprovideanadditional13milliongallonsofstorageof combinedstormwaterandsanitaryflowwhenneededduring largerainevents.Thenewsheetingwillraisethetopofthe treatmentcanalabovethe500-yearfloodelevation,further protectingadjacentpropertiesfromflooding.Additionally,the outdatedoutfallgateswillbereplacedwithnewonestoallow pumpstationoperatorstobettercontrolwaterlevelsinthe open-storagecanalandtheundergroundretentionbasin.
“ImprovingLakeSt.Clairwaterqualityistheultimategoal,and aginginfrastructuremustbeupgradedanddesignedtobe preparedforverylargeraineventswhicharehappeningmore oftenandwithgreaterintensity,”PublicWorksCommissioner CandiceS.Millersaid.
TheotherprojectattheChapatonPumpStation&Retention Basinincludestheadditionofthree,2-megawattgeneratorsto providepowerredundancytothegiantpumps,and replacementoftheelectricalcomponentswhichdatebackto whenthefacilitybecameoperationalin1968.
NO MORE SINKHOLES! Macomb Interceptor Drain Rehabilitation
Topreventanotherinfrastructuredisasterlike thesinkholethatoccurredinDecember2016 fromhappeningagain,MacombCounty PublicWorksengineersandcontractors continuetherehabilitationoftheMacomb InterceptorDraindeepbeneath15MileRoad betweenGarfieldRoadandtheITCCorridor, justwestofSchoenherrRoad.
“Wesincerelyappreciatethepatienceof motoristsandnearbyresidents,businesses andschoolsduringthisconstruction.Ifwe weren’tproactiveanddidn’tdothisrehab work,anothermajorsewercollapsewould eventuallyoccurandbemuchmore disruptiveandcostly,”PublicWorks CommissionerCandiceS.Millersaid.These projectsarenearingcompletion.
Theremovalofsediment–someofitfrom infiltrationofsandfromthepipecollapse sevenyearsago–hasbeenapainstaking process.Sectionsoftheinterceptorhave beenspray-lined,andwiderareaswillbe “slip-lined”withmanylarge,impervious segmentsofpipethatareloweredintothe concretepipetoprotectitfromfurther degradationcausedbyhighlycorrosive sewergas.
Pictured: Commissioner Miller and County Commissioner Don VanSyckel discuss interceptor project
70 tons of logs removed from the Clinton River
TheMacombCountyPublicWorksOffice teamedwithacontractorandvolunteers toclearlogjamsandremovelogsfromthe ClintonRivertomakeitsaferforrecreation, preventerosionandreducetheriskof flooding.
Fallentreesandlogsslowlymeanderdown theriverandoftengetsnaggedonthe banksorbyotherlogs,creatingjamsthat cantrapotherdebris.Thatleadstoerosion ofthebanksastheflowmaygoaround thejam,withtheresultingdestabilization ofthebankseventuallycausingmoretrees tofallintotheriver.Severelogjamscan alsoleadtolocalizedflooding,andlogs thataren’tremovedcouldendupinLake St.Clair,creatingahazardforboatersand personalwatercraftoperators.
“Eventhoughthecountydoesn’thave jurisdictionovertheClintonRiver,weall haveahugeinterestinit,”PublicWorks CommissionerCandiceS.Millersaid.
The project, funded by a $100,000 allocation from the Macomb County Board of Commissioners, resulted in the removal of an estimated 70 tons of logs.
Pictured: Commissioner Miller and County Commissioner Antoinette Wallace at the Clinton River
Drain Maintenance: Reduces risk of flooding
Ourdrainmaintenanceteamisdoingexcellentwork tacklinglogjamsanddebrisinouropenchannelsto ensureproperflowofstormwatertopreventerosion andreduceflooding.
Afterfallentreesanddebrisarepulledout,sedimentis removedandplacedonthebankswhicharethen gradedandtoppedwithabedoftopsoil,grassseed andamulchblanket.Notonlydoesthishelpprotect residential,commercialandindustrialproperties,but alsoagriculturalareaswherethewipeoutofcropsby floodingwouldbefinanciallydevastatingtofarmers.
Withtheincreasedfrequencyofmulti-inch,intense rainstorms,drainmaintenanceisextremelyimportant. ThePublicWorksOffice’scost-sharingprogramstarted byCommissionerCandiceS.Millerwithfundingfrom theMacombCountyBoardofCommissionersenables ourstafftoidentify,prioritizeandfundneeded maintenanceinproblemareasinconjunctionwith participatingcities,townshipsandvillages.
With401milesofopenchannelunderthejurisdictionof theoffice,drainmaintenanceworkisendless.
Pictured: Commissioner Miller and Sterling Heights City Councilwoman Liz Sierawski discuss a recent drain project in Sterling Heights
BEFORE & AFTER
PLUMBROOKDRAINBLOCKAGEREMOVAL-STERLINGHEIGHTS
ROHRBECKEXTENSIONDRAINBLOCKAGECLEARED-ROSEVILLE WE FIND 'EM WE FIX 'EM
Controlling Odor & Preventing Corrosion
Turbulenceofrawsewageflowingthroughsewers createshighlycorrosivehydrogensulfidegasthat degradestheinteriorofconcretepipesandeventhe steelrodsthatreinforcethatcement.
WorkcontinuesonprojectsbytheMacombCounty PublicWorksOffice--knownas“OdorandCorrosion ControlFacilities”–todrawinthatgastofilterit, therebyreducingnuisanceodorinthe neighborhoodsandextendingtheusefullifeofthe largeinterceptorsthatconveythesanityflow.That effortsavesmoneyoninfrastructurerehabilitationor replacement.
“WehavemadeexcellentprogressonthenewFraser biofilteralong15MileRoad,justwestofGarfieldRoad; theMacombTownshipbiofilterat21MileandGarfield roads,theNorthGratiotInterceptorinChesterfield Township,andtheClintondalePumpStation,”Public WorksCommissionerCandiceS.Millersaid
Ushering Economic Prosperity
TheMacombCountyPublicWorksOfficeisakey componentofeconomicprosperity.
Theengineeringplansforanynewdevelopmentsthat impactanyofthe475drainsunderouroffice’s jurisdictionarereviewedtoensureproperstormwater managementtoreducetheriskofflooding.Thisincludes examinationofthedesignofnewsewerpipes,basins, culverts,andtapsorrelocationofexistingdrainstomeet ourstormwaterdetentionandrunoffstandards.We monitorsoilerosionandinspectconstruction.
OnerecentexampleistheimprovementoftheZander DrainnearHeydenreichRoadand23MileRoadin MacombTownshipforthefirstphaseoftheCornersof CherryGlensingle-familyresidentialconstruction.
Pictured: Bio-filter - 15 Mile Road
MACOMBCOUNTYPUBLIC S 2023
BYTHENUMBERS
1,341 MILLION GALLONS OF CSO'S PREVENTED FROM ENTERING LAKE ST. CLAIR
Thanks to operational changes from our team, we were able to reduce combined sewer overflows in 2023 to the lowest level in 20 years!
ONLY 119 MILLION GALLONS OF TREATED CSO'S DISCHARGED AT CHAPATON RTB
In comparison, George W. Kuhn facility in Oakland County discharged 1,107 million gallons - nearly 1,000% more.
917 SOIL EROSION PERMITS ISSUED
Sediment is one of the largest pollutants in our rivers, lakes and streams. MCPWO ensures the protection of our waterways from sediment generated from construction sites.
16,308 INSPECTIONS
To facilitate the proper operations of our drains, the department provides soil erosion inspections, inspects construction of storm drains, sanitary sewers, drain taps, crossings and illicit discharges.
4 SEWER REHABILITATION & CSO REDUCTION PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
No more sinkholes!
MIDD Segment 5 & Segment 6; Chapaton Canal Rehabilitation; 8.5 Mile In-System Storage Project.
250 ENGINEERING PLANS REVIEWED Fostering economic developments by reviewing plans for subdivisions, condominiums, industrial and commercial projects or redevelopments that discharge stormwater into a county drain by our team every day.
104 DRAIN CLEANOUTS
MCPWO inspected, maintained and improved 104 county drains in 24 communities utilizing grant funds, the county's 50/50 Drain Match Program and prior assessments.
22 RAIN GAUGES AVAILABLE ONLINE
The public can now easily view the same rain information used by the MCPWO for stormwater management. Real time rainfall data is now available on our website.
