A major underground infrastructure project completed by Macomb County proved its value during a winter rain event that could have otherwise sent millions of gallons of sewage into Lake St. Clair.
According to Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice S. Miller, a 1.14-inch rainfall on Dec. 28 triggered system safeguards designed to prevent combined sewer overflows, a serious concern during winter months when frozen ground cannot absorb precipitation.
“Usually, that amount of rain isn’t very concerning most of the year, but a winter rain like the one we experienced can be a problem when the ground is frozen and snowmelt is added,” Miller said.
During the event, wastewater system operators activated the county’s In-System Storage technology by inflating a rubber weir inside an 11½-foot-diameter interceptor pipe. This action temporarily stored approximately 3.5 million gallons of combined stormwater and sanitary sewage upstream, preventing overload.
At the same time, coordination with the Southeast Macomb Sanitary District allowed system gates to redirect excess stormwater into the Chapaton Retention Treatment Basin at Nine Mile Road and Jefferson Avenue. The controlled release ensured gradual flow into the Jefferson Interceptor, which ultimately conveys wastewater to the Great Lakes Water Authority treatment facility in Detroit.
Miller noted that if the precipitation had fallen as snow, it would have amounted to more than 11 inches, a level that historically strains sewer systems.
“These infrastructure improvements and real-time monitoring prevented the Martin Retention Treatment Basin, which serves Roseville and northern St. Clair Shores, from exceeding its storage capacity,” Miller said. “That averted a discharge of combined sewer overflows into Lake St. Clair.”
The contrast across county lines was stark. During the same storm, nearly 5 million gallons of partially treated combined sewage and stormwater were discharged from Oakland County’s George W. Kuhn Retention Treatment Basin into the Red Run Drain in Macomb County.
Photos shared by the county show the extensive 2022–23 excavation work in Eastpointe that reached the 8½ Mile Relief Drain interceptor and the installation of the inflatable weir system. The project was officially completed in 2024 and is now fully operational.
Macomb County officials say the outcome highlights how long-term infrastructure investments can prevent environmental damage, particularly as winter rain events become more common.
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- NMD Staff
Staff@NewMediaDetroit.com