Oakland County decreases flow from Dequindre Interceptor to address overflows

By Max Bryan, The Detroit Information

Oakland County officers say they’re engaged on decreasing uncooked sewer outflows to neighboring Macomb County after months of conflicts and have met state officers about their plans.

Oakland officers met the Michigan Division of Surroundings, Nice Lakes and Power on the finish of final month after the state stated that it stood in opposition to the province.

Water Commissioner of Oakland County Jim Nash stated that his company Eglus has proven that the province has diminished the present from the Dequindre Interceptor. The drop-out for the interceptor is in Warren, immediately by means of the border of Macom-Oakland County. The Purple Run Drain flows into the Clinton River, which is counting all the way down to Lake St. Clair.

“Our engineers have adjusted a gate that controls the movement of handled water,” Nash stated this week in an e -mail to the Detroit Information, including that he desires to proceed the discussions with the State “that result in sustainable regional options for storm water administration.”

Eual Oakland County issued a violation in Might after the practically 1.2 million Gallons tough waste water from the Dequindre Sanitary sewer intercepted the purple run drainage as a consequence of heavy rain on 3 April.

State officers ordered Oakland County Water Assets to submit a corrective motion plan to deal with the floods. In his plan, Oakland County stated it labored to attempt to forestall the floods by creating extra storage in his drainage system and permitting “discharges” from a Retention Basin by Madison Heights.

Subsequently, Eexe gave an enforcement notification from 27 June, the argument that Oakland County “had not corrected the motion of sanitary sewerlights” from the Dequindre Interceptor. Oakland County provided the notification to enter right into a consent project, together with a compliance program and fines, to resolve violations.

Along with the overflow of three April, the enforcement message additionally referred to as a dismissal of August 2023 of two.2 million liters untreated or partially handled waste water from the interceeptor.

The spokesperson for Nash, Trisha Bruzk, confirmed on Thursday that the county didn’t enter into a press release by the State.

Within the meantime, spokesperson Jeff Johnston van Egles stated that his desk continues to have conversations with Oakland County and “appears ahead to fixing the issue.”

NASH claims that the Water Assets Fee of the province operates amenities that exceed the state laws. He additionally stated that the floods of the Dequindre interceptor are ‘comparatively uncommon’, though excessive climate situations enhance.

This assertion contrasts the place of Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller, who claims that the overflow of Oakland County is opposite to the Clear Water Act.

Miller refused to touch upon the assembly between Nash and Egles.

Within the press launch of 31 July, the Nash workplace claimed that the escalated enforcement in opposition to the county was pointless, and claimed that the sewage overflows have been ‘a regional downside for the complete state’.

“In the end, a regional resolution will likely be wanted to more and more cope with critical rain occasions ceaselessly in a interconnected regional system, however management of that resolution begins with Oakland County and we’re proud of the end result of this operational enchancment,” he stated within the information merchandise.

Initially printed: August 8, 2025 at 3.56 pm Edt