Susan J. Demas
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has proposed additional water quality protections in Oakland County amid a years long dispute with neighboring Macomb County over accusations of sewage discharged into the Red Run Drain.
For years Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller has accused Oakland County of discharging untreated and partially treated sewage into the Red River Drain, from Oakland’s George W. Kuhn Retention Treatment Basin, contributing to beach closures and the growth of large masses of algae in Lake St. Clair downstream.
In October, several Macomb and Oakland County area lawmakers sent a letter to EGLE Director Phil Roos calling for action on alleged wastewater discharge permit violations at the treatment basin, following a previous request from Macomb County officials asking EGLE to withhold the neighboring county’s permit to discharge treated wastewater into the Red Run Drain until it committed to addressing sewage discharges into the drain.
Last week, Roos responded to the October request, as well as another letter submitted in January, breaking down the changes proposed from the previous National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, including requiring the County to dechlorinate water before discharging it to the treatment basin, evaluate gray infrastructure such as sewage system separation efforts and expanded water storage options in the system.
Oakland County operates on a combined sewage system where stormwater and wastewater flow into one pipe, where it is transported to the Detroit Wastewater Treatment Plant.
However, excessive rainfalls and snowmelt can flood these systems, flushing wastewater and sewage into nearby waterways. While these overflows can contain both treated and untreated sewage, Oakland County operates multiple retention treatment basins, including the George W. Kuhn facility where they store, screen and disinfect wastewater prior to discharge to the Red Run Drain.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will also study flood control and erosion issues downstream from the basin, with EGLE retaining the authority to modify the permit in light of the Army Corps of Engineer’s findings.
The draft permit will also require the George W. Kuhn Drainage District to comply with a regional operational plan developed by the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) — which provides drinking water and wastewater services to a large portion of southeast Michigan — and approved by EGLE, Roos said.
While the facility’s previous permit expired on Oct. 1, 2023, EGLE spokesperson Hugh McDiarmid previously told the Advance that the permit had been extended while the department drafts a reissued permit. Though the permit allows for the discharge of treated combined sewer overflows, it does not allow for the discharge of untreated overflows.
Alongside the changes in the draft permit, EGLE has evaluated other drainage systems that discharge downriver from the George W. Kuhn Facility, with screenings scheduled every five years to eliminate any illicit discharges. The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner is also implementing an illicit discharge elimination program, working with municipalities to identify and track sources for elimination, Roos said.
State Rep. Tom Kuhn (R-Troy) welcomed the changes, alongside a planned meeting Thursday afternoon, where EGLE would discuss these water quality concerns with GOP lawmakers.
“Lawmakers in Oakland and Macomb Counties, whose districts are in the watershed, believe we shouldn’t be dumping in the watershed,” said Kuhn, whose uncle is the namesake of the George W. Kuhn basin. “This is significant progress for our area’s environment.”
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