Oakland-Macomb County feud over wastewater bubbling into the public

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A bubbling feud between Oakland County and Macomb County over the claims untreated water from the former was released into a canal that meanders through the latter is continuing to draw rebukes from both sides, which each pointing fingers at the other.

In Macomb County, the public works commissioner Candice Miller has for years blamed its neighbors to the west for allowing dirty water with garbage and wet wipes to pollute the red run drain, which travels through Warren.

But in Oakland County, the water resource commissioner, Jim Nash, says their neighbors to the east are not keeping up with investments to maintain their own clean water.

"It's not the first time false claims have been made against this facility," he said, standing in the George W. Kuhn retention facility in Madison Heights. The plant goes into action during periods of heavy rain, treating the extra water runoff that arrives during extreme weather. 

Tensions between the two bodies have escalated to the legislative level, where proposals would require Oakland County to separate its storm water from its sewage. 

Michigan's counties typically use water infrastructure that is called combined sewer overflow - or CSO - which combines waste water and stormwater. Separating them would require billions of dollars in costs that would be levied on taxpayers, Nash said, adding it would provide little benefit.

"We are not the source of their pollution and muck problem," he said.

But Miller sees it differently.

"If it is acceptable to Oakland County, they will not mind when Macomb County builds a steel wall across the discharge canal and let them handle their own ‘treated’ sewer water," she said.

In 2020, Miller stood next to trees along the Red Run Drain that were draped in garbage. The video, posted on YouTube, outlined what she said was wrong with Oakland County's water treatment systems.

Earlier this year, her department sent a letter to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to lament the polluted water entering Lake St. Clair, despite it's $100 million investment to reduce its overflows. 

The letter claims Oakland County "continues to discharge partially treated sewage directly into Macomb" and sends "billions of gallons" of the liquid into the Red Run Drain.

But Oakland County officials claim third-party studies have found the water is clean. Commissioner Dave Woodward, who was at the press conference on Wednesday, pointed to people playing politics amid the spat.

"It is the most irresponsible thing I've ever seen done of a public leader," he said of leadership at Macomb County.

Nash told FOX 2 the incident that led to the pollution Miller stood next to was due to a sewer interceptor that broke. It has since been fixed.

"Unfortunately, it backed up, and the choice is between releasing it into the environment or releasing it into peoples' basements, and we’re not going to release it into peoples' basements," said Nash.

Oakland County is currently working to secure a new permit for managing its groundwater. Miller is calling on EGLE to not renew the permit. 

"You really need to separate your sewers, which is very expensive. I understand that," said Miller. "But at a minimum, they need to build bigger retention so that you would store it, treat it, and then send it down to Detroit for proper treatment."

According to Nash, Oakland County has the largest storage site for stormwater in Michigan, with plans to add another 25 million gallons of capacity. 

EGLE told FOX 2 the George W. Kuhn facility at the center of the issue meets all state and federal regulations. 

It's been in talks with both counties and plans to convene a meeting with lawmakers on Oct. 8 as a new groundwater permit is worked out.