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Requesting Outcome of Warren, Michigan mitigation program

Posted by Frank Burdick on 22 Feb, 2014
Category: Category 3 - other City projects

I found the attached specs for the Warren, MI program.

What can we learn from that program?

Who on the "paid" team came  can research this and report back to the CAC prior to the next CAC meeting?

Comments

Robert Czachorski on 22 Feb, 2014:

We will look into it.  I believe that Canton did a similar program with torpedo type pumps.  The issue with their program was that the pumps were not very rugged, and over time as they failed, owners would pull them out, which I believe returns the flow to the sanitary sewer. I also notice in the Warren specs that they called for discharge to a splash pad four feet away from the house, not to a curb drain to get get the water to the storm sewer. This type of program seems to me to be more focused on doing it on the cheap, rather then doing it robustly.  Greg would likely know a lot more than I do about these.  

Greg - can you do a little research and comment here?

Lori - please add this to the Q&A log assigned to us.

Take care,
Robert

Lori Byron on 1 Apr, 2014:

[OHM Advisors]

The Warren program consulted with Anne Warrow leading into the formation of their pilot project.  The Warren pilot program was performed in 2008 and planned to construct inside three areas with a history of backups, 15-20 houses with torpedo pumps in each area. The cleanouts were to be plugged in the traps and a torpedo pump installed. The 1” discharge was put on a splash block outside the house.  

In the process of the program, 50 residents in each of the three areas were petitioned. The City received one response.  They then offered to pay their water bill for one year, and received 3 responses. They expanded the offer to other parts of the City and ended up constructing 60 randomly. Three contractors were chosen with each being assigned 20. A total of 50 were done. No battery backups were installed, the cost for them was to be borne by the homeowners and no homeowner elected to purchase them. The agreement was for the homeowner to leave the system in place for one year and then they could do whatever they wanted with the system.

The pumps were metered and the results showed that 15,000+ of 45,000 homes would need to be disconnected for the program to be successful. Based on the lack of interest in the pilot and the high cost for the work, Warren's City Council moved forward with the OMI (Oakland Macomb Interceptor), relief sewer, and treatment plant upgrade plans which are all under construction and in the process of negotiating a user agreement to discharge excess to the OMI.