Environmental Disaster Looming in Macomb County: What You Can Do

MACOMB COUNTY, MI — Macomb County is reportedly dangerously close to an environmental disaster tied to the Fraser sinkhole fiasco, according to a new alert issued by the Macomb County Office of Public Works.

The bubbling issue is that shifting sediment has significantly reduced the amount of sewage that can flow through the damaged sewer interceptor line along 15 Mile Rd. in Fraser to an "almost negligible amount," according to the alert. Engineers first noticed the problem on Jan. 26, and a closer inspection led to the discovery that the whole 11-foot diameter of the interceptor is obstructed and only seepage is moving down the line.

Why is this trouble? Because the existing by-pass lines installed along the sinkhole route can only handle so-called “dry weather” sewage flow, according to the alert. And get this - the alert warns that even a quarter of an inch of rainfall could trigger the "unavoidable release" of sewage into the Clinton River, which in turn flows into Lake St. Clair.

“I cannot stress enough – we have no capacity in the system for any additional sewage flow," Candice S. Miller, the Macomb County Public Works Commissioner, said in a statement. Miller continued, "The situation is dire and we are at the mercy of Mother Nature until we can get the temporary by-pass lines in place,which is still a month away from completion. We are working to avoid an environmental disaster.”

According to the alert, the Office of Public Works is prepping for the worst to happen by keeping disinfectant materials and booms at the ready to help reduce the environmental impact if a release indeed is necessary.

In the meantime, the Office of Public Works is imploring residents and businesses in the communities served by the sewer receptor line to drastically reduce their water usage. The affected communities are: Fraser, Sterling Heights, Utica and New Haven and Chesterfield, Shelby, Clinton, Harrison, Lenox, Washington, and Macomb townships, and Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

Here are a few of their suggestions to scale back your water use:

-Reduce the length of showers

-Only flush solids in the toilet

-Only run full wash loads

-Don’t run the water while brushing teeth.

-Run full dishwasher loads only

Photos courtesy of the Macomb County Office of Public Works