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Dec 30, 2004 Detroit News (Michigan)
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Plan Would Let Sewage Flow Into Mich. Lakes
The EPA says it could save millions of dollars, but others fear
the impact on drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected by
February to rule on whether cities can blend untreated sewage with treated
sewage and release it into waterways during storms.
Proponents say: It's a cheap solution to problems caused by heavy rainfalls and
will help prevent raw sewage backups into basements, lakes and streams. It also
will save tax money on sewage system improvements.
Critics say: The plan could lead to more bacterial illnesses and beach closures
and would backtrack on a commitment to eliminate all sewage discharges into
waterways by 2010. They also fear the risks aren't fully understood. Michigan
government leaders and environmentalists are at odds over proposed federal
standards that would allow communities to dump partially treated sewage into
local waterways during heavy rainfalls.
It's a policy debate that may not inspire much talk around water coolers, but
could affect everyone who drinks tap water, pays sewer bills or enjoys the Great
Lakes.
By February, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to decide whether
to allow "sewage blending," a practice in which cities mix untreated sewage with
fully treated wastewater during storms.
The policy could save Metro Detroit millions of dollars in sewer repairs and
ease basement flooding, but raises health and ecological fears. The new rules
could send more potentially harmful contaminants into the Detroit River or Lake
St. Clair, the source of drinking water for much of Metro Detroit.
"The losers are the people who breathe and drink the water," said Blair McGowan
of Grosse Ile, a developer and member of Friends of the Detroit River.
The debate is spurred in part by huge repair bills looming nationwide for aging
infrastructure. Southeast Michigan alone faces $16 billion to $24 billion in
sewage upgrades in the next 25 years, according to the Southeast Michigan
Council of Governments.
The costs would multiply if sewage blending weren't allowed, said Chuck Hersey,
the group's environment chief. In Wayne County, taxpayers would have to pay for
another $100 million to $200 million in upgrades, said Kurt Heise, the county's
director of environment.
SEMCOG and groups such as the Michigan Municipal League view diluted sewage as a
cheap solution to problems that arise when rainfall overwhelms treatment plants.
The alternative to blending is expensive upgrades or dumping untreated sewage
into waterways.
Part of the problem is that in older cities, all wastewater, rainwater and
sewage flow in the same sewers. If there's too much rain, the water must go
somewhere, and often ends up in streams, lakes or basements.
"This is a policy that would help us minimize costs, but not wreak havoc on the
environment," Hersey said.
Hersey argued that discharges of blended sewage would be infrequent and unlikely
to add to pollution. He said cities wouldn't back any proposal that would harm
the Rouge and Clinton rivers or any waterways where treated sewage is
discharged.
The health of the waterways is an issue near and dear to Great Lakes residents.
Several times a year, untreated sewage closes beaches along Lake St. Clair. A
decadelong effort and millions of dollars are slowly nursing the Rouge River
back to health. A report by the National Resources Defense Council last year
gave Detroit failing marks for protecting drinking water sources from
contaminants.
Environmentalists are outraged at the EPA's sewage proposal, noting the goal of
the 1970 Clean Water Act was to eliminate the discharge of sewage into waterways
by 2010.
"There's no doubt about it: If we back off, we will absolutely see more raw and
partially treated sewage in our drinking water sources," said Cyndi Roper, Great
Lakes policy director for Clean Water Action, a nationwide environmental group.
Some level of pollution is inevitable, argued Doug Buchholz, manager of
operations and maintenance for the Oakland County Drain Commission.
"If the human race is going to exist and prosper, there's going to be
pollution," Buchholz said. "How did you get to work today? By a car? It's all a
matter of degrees and costs. If you decide there will be less costs, there could
be more pollution. "
The policy change likely would lead to less dumping of untreated sewage, which
in turn would lead to fewer basement floods during extreme rainfalls, said
Hersey of SEMCOG.
That could be welcome news to communities Downriver, where flooding of the
Ecorse Creek is practically an annual rite. It's an event the Schmult family
knows well in Dearborn Heights. The family lost $5,000 worth of belongings in
May to flooding.
"I would much rather see (the sewage) in lakes or rivers than in our basement,"
said Allen Schmult, a 25-year resident. "If you ever had that problem, you would
agree with me. It's one heck of a mess to go down in the basement and see
(sewage) floating in the basement. "
Wayne County already has spent $300 million in improvements to settle a 1987
federal lawsuit over sewage dumping, Heise said. It would have to spend even
more if the sewage blending plan isn't adopted, he added.
The EPA has collected more than 98,000 public comments about the proposal since
February, said Cynthia Bergman, an EPA spokeswoman.
The change is pushed by groups such as the Association of Metropolitan Sewage
Agencies and other municipal lobbies. They claim there's a $500 billion gap
between "what's needed to pay for upgrades and what funding is available," said
Paul Schwartz, a national spokesman for Clean Water Action.
"They're trying to avoid fixing their old systems," said Nancy Stoner of the
National Resources Defense Council, a Washington D. C. environmental group.
Many studies exist showing the harms of untreated sewage, but few have ever
researched blended sewage, said Joan B. Rose, a Michigan State University
professor of microbiology.
She's one of the few who has. In a 2003 report, she claimed swimmers in
waterways containing blended sewage are 100 times more likely to develop cysts
or diarrhea. A separate study last year in Milwaukee found E. coli levels were
100 times greater in diluted sewage.
"This is making a rule when you don't have any scientific information or data to
conclude it's safe," Rose said.
Rose said there's a "misnomer" that treated wastewater is completely safe.
Instead, the two-step process that removes solids, then treats the wastewater
with bacteria only kills the majority of harmful viruses and parasites, not all
of them.
You can reach Christopher M. Singer at (734) 462-2093or csinger@detnews. com.
Source: Detroit News research Source: Detroit News research