(WXYZ) — Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller is asking the State of Michigan to take action following the release of raw sewage from neighboring Oakland County.
Miller sent a letter Wednesday to Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) Director Phillip Roos, alleging a "sickening release" of 1.2 million gallons of raw sewage on April 3.
Macomb County officials said the sewage was released from Oakland County’s George W. Kuhn Retention Treatment Basin into the Red Run Drain, which is located along Dequindre Road, north of 13 Mile.
On the day after the release, Miller said Public Works staff discovered sanitary wipes, condoms and tampons in shrubs and trees along the banks of the Red Run.
“I am sure many more numerous waste products and floatables washed further downstream into the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair,” Miller said in the letter. “These raw sewage discharges have occurred for many years, and nothing has ever been done.”
Macomb County said the Kuhn Basin serves as the stormwater and sanitary flow from 14 communities in Oakland County. When the capacity is insufficient, the basin overflows and discharges into the flow of the Red Run Drain with minimal treatment.
Miller wants Oakland County to either separate storm sewers from sanitary flow, build large open or enclosed retention basins, add detention ponds and more.
Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash says his county isn't to blame.
Nash says other wastewater treatment facilities in the area had issues with sewage overflow last week.
“The Warren wastewater treatment plant released 43 million gallons of bypassed blended sewage, which means it’s raw sewage going into the red run drain, so that’s about six miles down from our facility then and then a little future downstream… the Center Line sewer drain had an overflow," said Nash. “So if they’re blaming us for what happened in that lake, we’re responsible for about 2% of the flow of that day and Macomb County is responsible for 80-90% of that flow, so she’s blaming us, but it’s actually facilities in her county that are causing the fast majority in that storm.”
