2025 MIDD Report
Macomb Interceptor Drainage District (MIDD) Candice S. Miller
Macomb County Public Works Commissioner
In This Issue:
Project updates
Upcoming projects
Continued low rates
Pictured: Inspecting New Sewer Lining - 15 Mile Interceptor
No More Sinkholes!
Final phase of major construction projects along 15 Mile Road
Final touches are being completed on the interceptor rehabilitation and new pump station at Segment 5 along 15 Mile Road in Sterling Heights from Hayes Road, west to the ITC Corridor, and Segment 6, east and west of Garfield Road
At Segment 5, the new, permanent pump station inside the 60-foot-deep shaft that was excavated west of Schoenherr Road was completed and is online Almost 6,000 tons (12 million pounds) of sediment was removed from the 11-footdiameter interceptor that is the last remaining portion along 15 Mile Road of unreinforced concrete pipe installed in 1972. Installation of more than 350 segments of impervious glass fiber-reinforced polymer pipe was completed to line 7,000 feet of pipe to protect the pipe from further degradation caused by corrosive
raw sewage Where the pipe transitions upstream to an 8-foot-diameter section, a geo-polymer coating was sprayed to line 1,300 lineal feet
At Segment 6, the pieces of impervious pipe that were stored along 15 Mile on the border of Clinton Township and Fraser, are now deep below the surface, installed inside the interceptor to shield the interior from corrosive sewer gas. From just east and west of the 15 Mile and Garfield intersection, the interceptor was slip-lined after more than 800 tons (1.6 million pounds) of dense sediment and debris inside the pipe was painstakingly removed
“As our team has said before, we sincerely appreciate the patience of residents and
motorists in the area who have put up with occasional odor and periodic road lane closures,” Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice S Miller said “While we truly empathize with the nearby residents and businesses that have endured those issues, it’s important to remember how vital these projects have been If the MIDD board ignored the need to line the interceptor, deterioration of the concrete pipe would have progressed and inevitably led to another sewer collapse and sinkhole Another infrastructure disaster of that type would be much more costly and disruptive to the area.”
Odor & Corrosion Facilities
A system-wide study of the MIDD was completed to evaluate the need for additional odor and corrosion control facilities to mitigate degradation of the interceptors and nuisance odors emitting from the systems near homes, businesses and public areas The locations for three new facilities were determined through analysis and computer modeling They are intended to complement one another to reduce corrosive gas. Work has been completed on all three projects, and an existing biofilter was improved.
These are important projects to protect the different areas of the MIDD – which conveys the sanitary sewage of more than 600,000 customers in 11 Macomb County communities.
The biofilter on 15 Mile Road, west of Garfield, was converted from open beds of woodchips to an enclosed underground, concrete structure to hold an engineered carbon media to remove hydrogen sulfide gas. The facility is operational and will help reduce odor that has plagued the area for many years. The gas is drawn from the interceptor to the biofilter through an additonal foul air duct.
The chemical injection system, using calcium nitrate, is located at the North Gratiot Pump Station near Gratiot Avenue and 26 Mile Road in Chesterfield Township It became fully operational in spring 2024.
Construction of the new biofilter at the southeast corner of 21 Mile and Garfield Road in Macomb Township was completed in 2024. The facility has an enclosed chamber with engineered carbon media to remove hydrogen sulfide from the Garfield Interceptor that carries the sanitary flow from Macomb, Shelby and Washington townships.
At the Clintondale Pump Station near Union Lake Road and Interstate 94, work has been completed to mitigate sewer gas in that area and to protect the MIDD’s Lakeshore Interceptor
OMID Odor & Corrosion FacilitySorrento at Dodge Park Road
An aesthetically pleasing way to protect underground infrastructure and reduce sewer odor in Sterling Heights is underway on a new biofilter system at the corner of Dodge Park Road and Sorrento Boulevard, south of 17 Mile Road. The facility will resemble a brick colonial-style house but will contain ducts, filters, high-speed fans and more. The apparatus will quietly pull corrosive sewer gas from the concrete pipes buried deep below the surface and filter it before sending clean air into the atmosphere. This process will help extend the life of the sewers and alleviate odors
The $5 3 million project will not result in an increase to ratepayers
9 Drop Shaft & Connecting Sewer Rehabilitation Projects
Construction has begun at nine meter facility drop shafts and connecting sewers for needed rehabilitation due to degradation of the concrete caused by corrosive sewer gas. This photo and map shows where and how badly the pipe had deteriorated, exposing the rebar
Combining AI & Drones for Sewer Inspections
The Macomb County Public Works Office has enhanced its initial use of artificial intelligence for inspection of our underground infrastructure by adding a customized drone. The drone has LED lighting, 4K video, is splashproof and has a cage to protect it from the interior walls of the concrete pipes where it’s flown The video is downloaded into the Sewer AI software and rapidly analyzed, providing results that normally would take weeks or months of analysis by contractors, saving millions of dollars This first-in-Michigan combination of AI and the drone for inspections has won awards from the Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners and the American Public Works Association (APWA).
Underground Drone
The GoFlo device, designed in-house using a Go Pro camera on a float, has improved inspections of underground infrastructure. It is lowered into a manhole and records video while being carried by the flow inside the pipe. The device is removed from the flow by Public Works personnel at a predetermined manhole downstream and the video data is reviewed by the SewerAI software.
MIDD FY 2026 Budget & Charges
We are happy to report that despite higher increases this year from both GLWA and OMID, my office was able to lower MIDD charges, resulting in only a 2 9% overall average rate adjustment The savings are possible due to the nearly $40 million we received from Federal, State, and County funds for the completed 15 Mile Road sewer lining projects and the new Odor and Corrosion facilities.
This is now the seventh consecutive year that average charge adjustments have remained below 3%, which is well below the 10%-15% average annual increases experienced from 2010-2016.
The MIDD budget continues to invest in lining projects to ensure we have no more sinkholes It also funds the rehabilitation of drop shafts, additional interceptor cleaning and sediment removal to ensure adequate flows as well as continued preventative maintenance inspections
Less
than a
3%
annual rate adjustment the past 8 years
With the completion of the 15 Mile lining projects (Segments 5 & 6) and Odor and Control Facilities and those costs dropping off, the budget funds several needed MIDD projects without incurring debt including:
$14 million to line the 15 Mile Interceptor east of Garfield Road to west of Groesbeck Highway.
$4 25 million for additional interceptor cleaning and sediment removal
$2 5 million for the relining of nine sewer drop shafts based on recent inspection data
$1.5 million for the relocation of the Shelby Connector as part of the 21 Mile Road widening
$ 1 million for an equipment storage facility on 15 Mile Road behind the Biofilter facility
Upcoming Projects
15 Mile Interceptor Phase 2 Lining
To reduce odors emanating from the Oakland-Macomb Interceptor near the area of Utica Road and Dodge Park, construction is scheduled to start in fall 2025 on a structure to filter out hydrogen sulfide that creates the foul air which also causes degradation of the concrete interior of the pipe Degradation can lead to infiltration of the dirt surrounding the pipe, which could cause the pipe to collapse and a resulting sinkhole
Annual Inspections
Construction is scheduled to start in fall 2025 on the 15 Mile Interceptor Phase 2 lining project between Garfield and Groesbeck Highway The project involves the installation of approximately 4,400 linear feet of a PVC spiral-wound liner in the interior of the 5-foot-diameter concrete pipe to protect the pipe from further degradation.
The spiral-wound approach to pipe rehabilitation minimizes excavation and public disruption associated with digging of a shaft when performing the slip-line method. It also eliminates the need for extensive bypass pumping.
Odor & Control Facility–
Dodge Park & Utica Road
The proper and efficient operation of the MIDD system starts with inspections. Maintenance and, where necessary, extensive rehabilitation isn’t possible without identifying problem spots Macomb County Public Works continues to inspect our underground infrastructure, a process that has been enhanced through the combined use of drones and artificial intelligence.
Upcoming Projects, con’t.
The Macomb Interceptor Drain board continues to budget funding for continued cleaning and sediment removal in the interceptors Removing sediment improves flow and ensures capacity in the system
In 2018, a “fatberg” -- a collection of fats and oils mixed with solid items like paper towels and measuring 100 feet long, 11 feet wide and nearly 6 feet all – was removed from the Lakeshore Interceptor.
In Segment 5, nearly 6,000 tons (12 million pounds) of sediment were extracted from the 11-foot-diameter interceptor, while in Segment 6, over 800 tons (1.6 million pounds) of sediment and debris were carefully removed from the pipe.
Cleanout and Sediment Removal
North Gratiot Interceptor Lining Project
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR WATER AND SEWER BILL WITH WRAP!
Construction has begun to rehabilitate 2,400 linear feet of the North Gratiot Interceptor along Gratiot Avenue near 26 Mile Road. The project includes sewer cleaning, inspection and pipe lining, manhole modifications and meter facility modifications
$800,000/year available for Macomb residents
Anyone below 200% of federal poverty line is eligible
Up to $100/month in bill credits, $2,400 for unpaid bills and $2,000 for plumbing assistance
To find more information, and to see if you qualify, call Macomb Community Action at 586-469-6464 or visit mca macombgov org
MIDD Projects Timeline
Northeast Sewage Pump Station
Start: October 2020
Finish: July 2025
Segment 6 Sewer Rehab
Start: October 2021
Finish: May 2025
4 Odor Corrosion
Facilities
Start: January 2023
Finish: Completed
8 Meter Facility Drop
Shaft Rehabilitations
Start: November 2024
Finish: October 2025
NGI Sewer Rehab
Start: January 2025
End: Summer 2025
Grouting
Start: Ongoing
Inspections
Start: Ongoing
Start: Fall 2025 2020 2021 2026
Segment 5 Sewer Rehab
Start: October 2020
Finish: June 2025
OMIDD North Interceptor
East Arm Lining/Gates
Start: February 2021
Finish: November 2025
21 Mile & Garfield Lining
Start: January 2023
Finish: Completed
2 OMIDD Odor & Corrosion
Facilities
Start: September 2024
Finish: April 2026
15 Mile Interceptor Lining
Garfield to Grosebeck Hwy
System Wide Cleaning & Sediment Removal
Start: Spring 2026
MIDD
The Numbers
600,000 Residents & Businesses Served
17.1 Billion Gallons Annual Flow Volume
ZERO Sanitary Sewer Overflows since 2016
$12.4 Million in Savings from Refinancing Bonds
ZERO Sinkholes since 2016
Contractors spent 221 days working in underground pipe in 2024
2.9% Avg. Annual Rate Adjustment since 2017 vs 15% Annual Increases from 2010-2016
