St. Clair Shores, MI – Macomb County officials say recent underground infrastructure upgrades prevented millions of gallons of combined sewer overflows from being discharged into Lake St. Clair following heavy rain earlier this month.
According to Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice S. Miller, the Chapaton Retention Treatment Basin in St. Clair Shores successfully avoided releasing sewage into the lake despite significant rainfall on March 5–6 and again on March 12.
Officials say more than 2 inches of rain fell during the March 5–6 storm, followed by more than an inch of rainfall during another system on March 12. In both cases, the Chapaton basin reportedly avoided any combined sewer overflow discharges.
“That’s outstanding,” Miller said in a statement. “It’s a testament to Macomb County having the political will to invest millions of dollars on major infrastructure upgrades that enable us to manage the flow of combined stormwater and sanitary sewage more efficiently and effectively.”
County officials say the improvements include the installation of an inflatable weir inside an interceptor pipe measuring roughly 11½ feet in diameter located about 35 feet underground near Nine Mile Road and Interstate 94. The device temporarily holds back combined stormwater and sewage during heavy rain events before gradually releasing it to the Great Lakes Water Authority wastewater treatment facility.
Another project involved expanding the Chapaton Canal near the foot of Nine Mile Road. That project, completed in August 2025, created additional storage capacity intended to reduce the likelihood of combined sewer overflows reaching Lake St. Clair.
Officials also pointed to improvements at the Martin Retention Treatment Basin. A discharge there was reportedly avoided during the March 12 rain event due to upgrades at the Bon Heur pump station.
However, during the heavier March 5–6 storm system, approximately 14.6 million gallons of treated combined sewer overflow were discharged from the Martin basin. County officials say an ongoing project to install a 5-foot-diameter relief sewer along Jefferson Avenue is expected to further reduce those discharges once completed.
Miller said the infrastructure projects are aimed at protecting Lake St. Clair, which serves as a drinking water source for millions of people and plays a major role in the region’s recreation and economy.
“These projects show how Macomb County is leading by example to protect our beautiful Lake St. Clair as the drinking water source for millions of people and for the recreational and economic benefit for generations,” Miller said.
Meanwhile, officials noted that Oakland County’s George W. Kuhn Retention Treatment Basin reportedly discharged nearly 34 million gallons of combined sewer overflows into the Red Run Drain in Macomb County after less than an inch of rainfall during last week’s storm.
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- NMD Staff
Staff@NewMediaDetroit.com