July 18, 2007

The Department of Environmental Quality has reached settlements with the cities of Northville, Plymouth, and Westland regarding violations of Michigan's water protection laws. The cities are all part of the sewer system owned and operated by Wayne County known as the North Huron Valley/Rouge Valley Interceptor System. The system provides sanitary sewage collection and transportation services to the many communities located within southwestern Oakland and western Wayne Counties.

The settlements reached with the cities are part of the statewide Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Strategy initiated by the DEQ in 2000 with the goal of eliminating SSOs through legally enforceable agreements and preventing adverse impacts to waters of the state of Michigan and risks to public health. The settlements were executed through Administrative Consent Orders to resolve the SSOs that occurred from the cities since 2000 and outlined short-term and long-term corrective actions within the respective sanitary sewer systems to eliminate SSOs to waters of the state.

SSOs are discharges of raw or inadequately treated sewage from municipal separate sanitary sewer systems. These systems are designed to carry domestic sewage but not storm water. When an SSO occurs, sewage is released into areas such as basements, city streets, and streams rather than being transported to a treatment facility. SSOs are illegal and often constitute a serious environmental and public health threat.

"These settlements are a significant accomplishment that ensures we are keeping Michigan's waters safe," said DEQ Director Steven E. Chester. "We appreciate the cities' cooperation in entering into settlements that bring us closer to eliminating Sanitary Sewer Overflows in Michigan."

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 July 18, 2007 by Pat Watson