CANDICE S. MILLER COMMISSIONER
TheMacombCounty PublicWorksOffice
TheMCPWOadministers475countydrainsthatpreventfloodinginour communities Someofthesedrainsareopenstreamsorcreeks,whileothersare massiveundergroundstructuresthatcarrystormwaterawayfrom neighborhoodsandbusinesses.Givenourresponsibilityforthesewaterways,we areactivelyengagedinnumerousinitiativestoenhancetheoverallwaterquality inourlakesandrivers,mostnotablytheClintonRiverandLakeSt.Clair.In addition,weoperate68milesofsanitarysewerinterceptorswhichtransport wasteformorethan800,000residentsandbusinessestotheGreatLakesWater Authority(GLWA)WaterResourceRecoveryFacility(WRRF)forpropertreatment.
KeyGoals
ReducingCombinedSewer Overflows
Preventingbillionsofgallonsof CSOsfromenteringLakeSt.Clair
NoMoreSinkholes!
Completingsewerrehabilitation &CSOreductionprojects
ReduceFlooding
MCPWOinspects,maintainsand improveshundredsofmilesof countydrains
EconomicProsperity
MCPWOapprovesallstormwater projectsthroughourPermit&Plan ReviewPortalavailableonline24/7
Improvewaterquality
Reducingthefrequencyand volumeofcombinedsewer overflows;clearinglogjamsand debrisfromopenchannelsto ensureproperflowofstormwater andreducesedimentbuildup.
Improvethequality oflifeforour residents
SafeguardingLakeSt.Clairasour drinkingwatersourceandfor recreation;maintainingnetworks ofcreeks,streamsandriversto reduceflooding,andhelpingthe environmentforhumansand wildlife.
Serveasacritical componentof economic prosperity
Engineeringandinspectionreview ofalllanddevelopmentand redevelopmentplansimpacting thecounty’s475drainstoensure properstormwaterdrainageand toreduceriskofflooding.
Commissioner’s Message
DearNeighbors,
Whenitcomestosafeguardingourwaterways,MacombCountyisleadingby example Whetherwe’reinspectingandmaintainingorupgradingourcritical undergroundinfrastructure,implementingnewandcost-efficienttechnologies,or increasingfundingpartnershipswithindividualcommunitiestoremovelogjamsand debrisinopenchanneldrainstoensureproperflowandreduceflooding,theprojects andactivitiesdirectedbytheMacombCountyPublicWorksOfficeareessentialto protectwaterquality.
Waterqualityequalsqualityoflife.Improvingboth,andbeingakeycomponentof economicprosperity,isourdepartment’smission Ittrulytakesateameffort,andour dedicatedstaffmembersarelaserfocusedweekin,weekout
I’mconfidentthatourmajorprojects,individuallyandcollectively–suchasreducing ourcombinedseweroverflowsintoLakeSt.Clairby75%--willbecomeamodelfor othercountiesinsoutheastMichigantofollow.
Kickingthecandowntheroadjeopardizestheenvironmentandunfairlyputsariskier andcostlierburdenonourchildren,grandchildrenandfuturegenerations.Fortunately, electedleadersrepresentingMacombCountyatvariouslevelsofgovernmenthave showntheyhavethepoliticalwilltodowhat’snecessarytoimprovestormwaterand sanitarysewagesystemsandprocessesthatsafeguardourwaterways.
Weapplaudresidentswhodotheirpartbydoingsuchthingsasextenddownspouts awayfromtheirhomes;installarainbarrel;sweepfertilizergranulesfromcurbs, drivewaysandsidewalksontolawns;andnotdumpinggrassclippingsandleavesinto neighborhoodcreeksandstreams.Indeed,ittakesavillage.Awideregionalone, acrossandfarbeyondourcounty’sborders.AstheGreatLakesState,it’sourduty.
Thisbi-annualreporthighlightssomeofourlatestprojectsandactivities.Formore information,visitthePublicWorkspageatmacombgov.orgorusetheQRcodeonthis page.Followusonsocialmediaandsubscribetooure-newsletter.
Sincerely,
NO MORE SINKHOLES
Reliningofa4,430-footsectionofthe15MileInterceptor–betweenGroesbeckHighwayto justwestofKellyRoad--wascompletedinJanuary2026aheadofscheduleandunder budget.Inspectionofthepipefurthereast,pastGratiotAvenue,hasshownasignificant increaseintherateofdeteriorationoftheconcretepipeoverthelastfiveyears.
Toaddresstheissue,constructionhascommencedtolineanadditional8,500-footstretch oftheinterceptor,whichispartoftheMacombInterceptorDrain.
“Thedegradationofthe interiorofthepipe,causedby corrosivesewergases,has acceleratedinrecentyears tothepointthatrebar,the steelrodsthatreinforcethe strengthofconcrete,are visible.Allowingthose conditionstolingerwithout vitalmaintenancewould eventuallyleadtosevere infiltrationofdirtand groundwater,acollapseand amajorsinkhole,”Macomb CountyPublicWorks CommissionerCandiceS. Millersaid.
MCPWO Award Winning Projects
TheMacombCountyPublicWorksOfficecontinuesto earnawardsforinnovationsandexcellence Those includeawardsfromtheAmericanPublicWorks Association,theMichiganAssociationofCountyDrain Commissioners,theNationalAssociationofCounties, andtheAmericanCouncilofEngineeringCompanies.
“We’realwayshappyandproudtoberecognizedbyour peers,civilengineeringassociationsorothergroups,” saidPublicWorksCommissionerCandiceS.Miller,“but therealwinnersarethepeoplewhoreside,workor recreateinMacombCounty,andvisitors.”
AAPWAMichigan Chapter 2024ProjectoftheYear MacombInterceptor Drain“SpiralWound” Rehabilitation APWAMichigan Chapter 2025ProjectoftheYear CombiningAIand DroneInspections
2025Innovationand ExcellenceAward CombiningAIand DroneInspections
ACEC2025Honorable ConceptorAward SpiralWoundSewerLining
ACEC2026Honorable
ACEC2025Honorable ConceptorAward Segment6Rehabilitation
ACEC2026Honorable ConceptorAward
ACEC2026Honorable ConceptorAward ChapatonRTBCanal Rehabilitation
ACEC2026Honorable ConceptorAward
Clinton River Logs Removal
Alotoflogs–350tons!That’showmuchwasremovedin 2025fromtheClintonRiverandtheNorthBranchofthe ClintonRiverduringtheMacombCountyPublicWorksOffice’s LargeWoodyDebrisProject.
“Eventhoughourofficedoesnothavejurisdictionoverthe mainandnorthbranchesoftheClintonRiver,Iknew somethinghadtohappentocleanoutalltheselogjams,” PublicWorksCommissionerCandiceS Millersaid “Thecounty BoardofCommissionersagreesandforthreeyearshas providedfundingwhichhasbeenmatchedbysomeofthe communitiesalongtherivertoenablethecleanupofthis wonderfulnaturalresource.”
Eliminatinglogjamsimprovestheriver’sflow,whichimproves waterquality,reducestheriskofflooding,andprevents erosionwhenwaterwashesawaythebanksasitworksits wayaroundlogjams.Whenbankserode,therootsupportof treesisunderminedandcausesthemtocollapseintothe river.LogsthatfloatdowntherivermayreachLakeSt.Clair, creatingahazardforboatersandoperatorsofpersonal watercraft.
ofwoodydebrisremoved fromtheClintonRiverand theNorthBranchofthe ClintonRiverin2025!
MCPWOinspectionsfound 7woodydebrisblockages in2025. 7blockages removed
Technology to Improve Water Quality
Our office continues to implement emerging technologies to improve the management of our underground infrastructure and the county drains that are under our department’s jurisdiction.
Our latest is a drone used outdoors by our environmental team for inspection of our openchannel drains. It has two swappable sensors to help us find problems faster and fix them sooner, including a thermal sensor that lets us “see heat” which helps spot unusual temperature patterns in water. This is particularly helpful in detecting failed septic systems and illicit discharges of sanitary sewage into our drains including creeks, streams and the Clinton River. The other has a scanner that uses a harmless laser to create highaccuracy 3D maps of drains and floodplains. This helps us check and map logjams and debris that blocks flow, and helps us spot erosion, bank slumps, vegetation overgrowth and damaged infrastructure very efficiently.
Other useful, cutting edge technology includes our award-winning combination of a confinedspaces drone and artificial intelligence to greatly improve sewer inspections; our “GoFlo” buoyant device designed by in-house engineers to capture high-resolution images of pipe conditions while being carried by the flow inside pipe; the spiral wound plastic liner to protect our large concrete pipes from corrosive sewer gas; and the “digital twin” software to recreate virtual rainstorms for training of our pump station operators.
MCPWO new drone to inspect drain
Heat map footage from new drone
GoFlo in action
Maintaining Drains to Reduce Flooding
In2017,PublicWorksCommissionerCandiceS.Millerstartedthedepartment’sdrain maintenancecost-sharingprogram,inwhichthecountyandindividualcities,townships andvillagessplittheexpense.
TheDrainMaintenanceteamattheMacombCountyPublicWorksOfficeworksyear-round inthe400milesofopendrainsand330milesofencloseddrainsunderthecounty’s jurisdictiontoensureproperflows.Thatworkincludesremovingfallentrees,clearing logjamsanddebris,removingovergrownvegetationandexcessivesediment,reshaping thebankswherenecessary,andeliminatingsinkholes.
“Weapplaudtheelectedofficialsinthecities,townshipsandvillageswhoareincreasingly realizingthisprogramallowsthemtostretchtheirlocaldollarstoprioritizetroublespots, reducetheriskoffloodingandimprovewaterquality,”Millersaid.
Lambert Drain Cleanout - Richmond Township
Irwin Drain Cleanout - Harrison Township
Large woody debris removal in Clinton River
SoilErosion& SedimentControl GuideAvailable
Ourofficehasupdateditssoilerosion guideforpropertydevelopersandhome builders.Thebookletincludesbest managementpractices.
Whetherplanninganewsubdivision,a store,abigindustrialbuildingoreven puttingupabackyardshed,orpool, standardsmustbefollowedtokeep sedimentsandpollutantsoutofour countydrainstoprotectwaterquality andpreventfloodinginourcommunities.
Copiesofthebookletcanbefoundat localbuildingdepartments,atouroffice oronthePublicWorkswebsite.
NewRainGaugesInstalled
TheMacombCountyPublicWorksOfficeis installing10moreraingaugesacrossthe countythatresidentscancheckonlineto viewrainfalldatacontinuouslyrecordedby thedevicesinnearrealtime.
Toseethedatafromanyofthegauges,visit ourwebsiteorscanthisQRcodewithyour phone.Theseraingaugescontinuously recordprecipitationdataona5-minute interval.Thewebpageincludesan interactivemapthatalsoincludeshistorical rainfalldata Theadditionalgaugesbringto 36thenumberofrainfallmonitoring devicesinstalledbyourofficeinrecentyears.
“Withtheincreasedfrequencyofintensestormsdumping2,3, 4ormoreinchesofrain,we’venoticedthatrainfalltotalscan bemuchdifferentfromoneneighborhoodtoanotherlocated ajustafewmilesaway,”PublicWorksCommissionerCandice S.Millersaid.
BonHeurPumpStation Rehabilitation
Whatdoancient-GreecemathematicianArchimedes, LeonardodaVinciandtheMacombCountyPublicWorks Officehaveincommon?Screwpumps!
Screwpumpsareusedtomovewaterfromlowertohigher ground,withdesignsdatingbacktoArchimedesaround 200BC.Later,LeonardodaVincistudiedanddesigned variations.
TheBonHeurPumpStation,builtin1980onHarperAvenue inSt.ClairShores,hasfourscrewpumpsthatarebeing replacedaspartofagrant-funded$8.7millionrenovation.
“Thetechnologyworksgreatbutthesepumps,themotors thatturnthemandtheelectricalequipmenthaveoutlasted theirnormallifeexpectancyandneededtobereplaced,” PublicWorksCommissionerCandiceS.Millersaid.
Thepumpstationhandlescombinedstormwaterand sanitarysewagefrompartsofSt.ClairShores,Eastpointe andRoseville.
Screw pumps
Screw pumps
Commissioner Candice S. Miller and Wasterwater Operations Manager Vincent Astorino monitoring the screw pumps
Screw pumps
NortheastSewagePumping StationCompleted
MacombCountyPublicWorks
CommissionerCandiceS.Millerandother infrastructureofficialsmarkedthe completionofthemulti-phase$100million overhauloftheNortheastSewagePumping Station(NESPS)on8MileinDetroit.Itwasa 5-yearprojectdirectedbytheOaklandMacombInterceptorDrainDrainageDistrict (OMIDDD).CommissionerMillerisamember oftheOMIDDDboard.TheNESPShandles onlyMacombandOaklandflows.
“There’snooverstatingtheimportanceof thismassivemodernizationproject.Without it,thisagingpumpingstationbuiltinthe 1960swouldhaveeventuallyfailedand causedaninfrastructuredisasterandhealth hazardimpactingmanyhundredsof thousandsofpeople,homesand businesses,”Millersaid.
Thesuccessfulcompletionofthisextensive andvitalprojectistheculminationofavery effectivepartnershipbetweenMacomband Oaklandcounties,”Millersaid.“Together,our staffengineersworkedverycloselyand effectivelywithconsultingengineersand severalcontractorsasateam,andthe resultswillbenefitsanitarysystemusers andratepayersinbothcounties--andthe environment--fordecades.
Commissioner Candice S. Miller outside the Northeast Sewage Pumping Station
Commissioner Candice S. Miller and Stephen Downing inside the Northeast Sewage Pumping Station
SterlingReliefDrain
Thankstograntfunding,we’repartneringwithSterlingHeightsona$1.1milliongreen infrastructureprojecttodaylighttheSterlingReliefDrainfromDequindretoMoundRoad.The projectwilladdnativeplantstohelpfilterstormwaterandimprovewaterquality
ClintonRiverSpillway
A$1.8milliongrant-fundedprojectimprovingflow,stabilizingstreambanks,reducing sediment,andaddinghabitatpoolsandplantingsalongthe3-mileSpillway.
GibsonDrain
WearepartneringwiththecitiesofSterlingHeightsandTroyona$900,000locallyfunded projecttoremove10,000cubicyardsofaccumulatedsedimentfromtheGibsonSouth stormwaterpondanddrain,andtostabilizethedrainbanks.
In comparison, George W Kuhn facility in Oakland County discharged 1,023 million gallons or 1,100% (11x more)
$181 million in grant funding secured by department.
MACOMB COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS 2025 BY THE NUMBERS
841 MILLION GALLONS OF CSO'S PREVENTED FROM ENTERING LAKE ST. CLAIR
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.
ONLY 94 MILLION GALLONS OF TREATED CSO'S DISCHARGED AT CHAPATON RTB
1,024 SOIL EROSION PERMITS ISSUED
To facilitate the proper operations of our drains, we provide soil erosion inspections, inspect construction of storm drains, sanitary sewers, drain taps, crossings and illicit discharges.
Over 27 flight hours of county drains captured and inspected by drone to support our Drain Maintenance and Plan Review teams.
12,449 INSPECTIONS
132,000 LINEAR FEET OF AERIAL DRAIN INSPECTIONS
350 tons of wood and debris removed from the Clinton River in 7 locations in Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, Utica, Shelby Township and the Clinton River Spillway
350 TONS OF LARGE WOODY DEBRIS
NO MORE SINKHOLES, REDUCING CSO’S BY 75%
We foster economic development b carefully reviewing plans of subdivisions condominiums, industrial and commercia projects or redevelopments that discharg stormwater into a county drain
244 ENGINEERING PLANS REVIEWED
MCPWO inspected, maintained and improved 112 county drains in 25 communities utilizing grant funds, and the county's 50/50 Drain Match Program
The public can easily view the same rain information used by the MCPWO for stormwater management County-wide real time rainfall data is now available on our website 112 DR
15.2 BILLION GALLONS of annual sewer flow volumes managed
MISS DIG tickets reviewed by our staff to ensure safe excavation projects throughout the county
5,143 MISS DIG TICKE
$294MILLION INVESTED
ReducingCSOs
ChapatonRetentionBasin-$112M
CanalExpansion
ElectricalSystemReplacement
BasinFlushingSystem
GateReplacements
9MilePumpStation
MartinRetentionBasin-$50M
JeffersonReliefPipe
BasinRehabilitation
BonHeurPumpStation
NoMoreSinkholes
MIDDProjects-$122M
15Mile-Segment5Lining
15Mile-Segment6Lining
15Mile-EastofGarfieldLining
4Odor&CorrosionFacilities
3OMIDOdor&CorrosionFacilities
InterceptorSedimentRemoval
8DropShaftSewerRehabilitations
NGILining
FloodReduction
TrashCaptureDevices-$20M ClintonRiverSpillway-$18M Flooding/Habitat
RedRunFloodStudy-$1.3M
MiddleBranchBankStabilization-$1M StormwaterAssetManagement-$1M SterlingReliefPhaseIIDaylighting-$1M IllicitDischargeEliminationProgram-$1M LakeSt.ClairMuckPilotRemovalProject$800,000
