MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – When major storms and heavy rain hit Metro Detroit, municipalities are often forced to open the gates and send raw sewage right into Lake St. Clair to avoid flooding.
A massive underground project in St. Clair Shores that has been in the works for years is looking to change that. Its grand opening Thursday, May 23, was highly anticipated.
Officials said the new and improved sewer system will protect Lake St. Clair. Macomb County kicked off the project nearly two years ago and have been shutting down roads, digging into the ground and revamping the sewer system.
“We have built here about a $12.5 million project that we call our in-system storage project,” said Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller.
When heavy rain came, the old underground infrastructure wasn’t being used to its full potential, but now it is. The upgraded sewer system will be able to store the water without flooding basements or discharging overflow into Lake St. Clair. It’s expected to reduce combined sewer overflows in Lake St. Claire by 10-15%.
“It’s really got one purpose and that’s to stop combined sewer overflows from continuing to discharge into Lake St. Clair, which has literally been going on for generations,” Miller said.
With the new system’s completion came the reopening of Beaconsfield Road, south of Nine Mile Road in Eastpointe, which has been closed since the start of the project.
Over the next few weeks, officials will be putting the finishing touches on the project by fixing up the landscaping, which neighbors are excited about after a year and a half of seeing orange cones and construction equipment.