March 19, 2008

The Department of Environmental Quality announced today that a settlement has been reached with the City of Inkster to resolve ongoing sanitary sewer overflows that have occurred from the city since 2000 and outline corrective actions necessary to eliminate the problem. SSOs are discharges of raw or inadequately treated sewage from municipal separate sanitary sewer systems. When an SSO occurs, sewage is released into areas such as basements, city streets, rivers, and streams. SSOs are illegal and often constitute a serious environmental and public health threat.

Inkster is part of the regional interceptor sewer system owned and operated by Wayne County known as the North Huron Valley/Rouge Valley Interceptor System which serves all or part of 15 communities in southwestern Oakland County and western Wayne County. Each community is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the sewers within their system, while the Wayne County Department of Environment is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the county interceptor sewers that serve the district.

"We appreciate Inkster's cooperation in resolving this matter and joining its neighbors in putting corrective programs in place," said DEQ Director Steven E. Chester. "This settlement moves the DEQ one step further towards meeting the goal of eliminating SSOs in Michigan and protecting the water resources of our great state."

The Administrative Consent Order was signed as part of a statewide Sanitary Sewer Overflow Strategy to eliminate SSOs through legally enforceable agreements and prevent adverse impacts to waters of the state and risks to public health.

Problems that may cause chronic SSOs include too much infiltration and in-flow into the sanitary system from groundwater through cracks in the sewer pipes; rainwater or snowmelt flowing into the sanitary system through roof drains connected to sewers; groundwater from footing drains and service leads connected to the sanitary system; undersized sanitary systems with sewers and pumps that are too small to carry the sewage; system failures due to restrictions such as tree roots growing into the sewer; buildup of sediments causing blockages; power failures; or equipment failures.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised March 19, 2008 by Pat Watson