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Head of Great Lakes Water Authority resigns after Metro Detroit flooding

By and Amber Ainsworth
Updated  July 28, 2021 10:31pm EDT
Michigan
FOX 2 Detroit

Water authority leader resigns after Metro Detroit flooding

Sue McCormick, the head of the Great Lakes Water Authority, has stepped down.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The head of the Great Lakes Water Authority resigned Tuesday.

Sue McCormick's departure comes after recent flooding in Metro Detroit.

"I think it's very appropriate that Sue McCormick offered her resignation," said Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller.

Miller was critical of the water authority after June's flooding that closed freeways and filled basements with water.

Read More: Miller calls for investigation of Detroit pump station

"I was pretty harsh about the whole thing because obviously there was some mismanagement that happened here," Miller said.

Of the 20 pump stations in Metro Detroit area, including at Conner Creek, only four were working at one point during June's storm.  

Sue McCormick

Sue McCormick

"I think she had indicated that she has been leading this way since early June," said Gary Brown, the director of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.

Related: Residents of Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood demand answers after severe flooding

Brown said McCormick has accomplished a lot as the first and only CEO of the GLWA.

Some of McCormick's accomplishments include an update to its bond rating and a sustainable assistance program for qualifying households.

Great Lakes Water Association CEO resigns as pressure mounts

After several flooding issues including a devastating June 26 storm that sparked myriad questions, Sue McCormick - the head of the embattled GLWA - has resigned.

Under McCormick's contract, she has 60 days to remain on the job. A national search will be conducted to find a replacement, just as a national search was done to choose her.