EIS-79-
0190D
EFW
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Region V
230 South Dearborn
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Water Division
Environmental
Impact
Statement
November
Draft
IHuron Valley
Wastewater
Control System
Wayne County
Michigan
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DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
HURON VALLEY WASTEWATER CONTROL SYSTEM
FACILITIES PLAN
WAYNE AND OAKLAND COUNTIES, MICHIGAN
PROPOSED BY
WAYNE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
Prepared by the
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION V, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
AND
WAPORA, INCORPORATED
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
APPROVED BY:
McGuire
ional Administrator
S. Environmental Protection Agency
November, 1978
U.S.
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£::g':o^;r-ft*i*j! Protection Agency
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
COVER SHEET j_
TABLE OF CONTENTS iii
LIST OF TABLES vii
LIST OF FIGURES viii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ix
GLOSSARY OF GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS x
SUMMARY
3.0. INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. Proposed Action . . 1
1.2. Background 1
1.3. Study Process 5
2.0. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 8
2.1. Atmosphere 8
2.1.1. Climate 8
2.1.2. Air Quality 8
2.1.3. Sound 10
2.2. Land 10
2.2.1. Physiography and Topography 10
2.2.2. Geology 11
2.2.2.1. Surficial Geology 11
2.2.2.2. Bedrock Geology 12
2.2.3. Soil 14
2.2.4. Terrestrial Vegetation 17
2.2.4.1. Woodlands 17
2.2.4.2. Brushlands and Grasslands 18
2.2.4.3. Agricultural Land 18
2.2.4.4. Wetlands 18
2.2.4.5. Endangered, Threatened, and Rare Plants. . . 19
2.2.5. Wildlife 19
2.2.5.1. Amphibians 19
2.2.5.2. Reptiles 21
2.2.5.3. Birds 21
2.2.5.4. Mammals 21
2.2.5.5. Endangered and Threatened Animals 21
2.3. Water 22
2.3.1. Surface Water 22
2.3.1.1. Setting and Flow 22
2.3.1.2. Uses 28
2.3.1.3. Water Quality 29
2.3.2. Groundwater 33
2.3.2.1. Occurrence 33
2.3.2.2. Groundwater Quality 34
2.3.2.3. Uses 34
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont.)
2.3.3. Aquatic Biota 34
2.3.3.1. Upper and Lower Huron River 34
2.3.3.2. Middle and Lower Rivers Rouge 35
2.3.3.3. Detroit River - Lake Erie 35
2.3.3.4. Threatened and Endangered Species .... 36
3.0. MAN-MADE ENVIRONMENT 37
3.1. Demography and Economics 37
3.1.1. Demographic Trends 37
3.1.2. Population Projections 39
3.1.3. Income 40
3.1.4. Employment 42
3.1.5. Public Finance 47
3.2. Land Use and Transportation 54
3.2.1. General Land Use 54
3.2.2. Existing Land Use 54
3.2.3. Recreational Land 56
3.2.4. Housing 56
3.2.5. Transportation 58
3.3. Cultural, Historic, and Archaeological Resources 58
3.3.1. Prehistory of the Project Area 58
3.3.2. History of the Project Area 60
3.3.3. Sites in the Project Area 61
3.4. Wastewater Collection and Treatment Systems 64
3.4.1. Walled Lake - Novi 64
3.4.2. Rouge Valley System 67
3.4.3. Downriver System 69
3.4.4. Flat Rock 72
3.4.5. Rockwood 73
3.4.6. W.C. - Trenton 74
3.4.7. Trenton 75
3.4.8. Southern Brownstown Township 77
3.4.9. Individual Disposal Systems 78
4.0. FUTURE SITUATION WITHOUT ACTION 80
5.0. ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS 83
5.1. Introduction 83
5.2. Component Options 83
5.2.1. Flow and Waste Reduction 83
5.2.1.1. Infiltration/Inflow Reduction 83
5.2.1.2. Conservation of Water 84
5.2.1.3. Diversion of Flows 85
5.2.1.4. Flow Equalization 86
5.2.1.5. Industrial Pretreatment and/or Reuse ... 86
5.2.2. Collection System 86
5.2.3. Wastewater Treatment Processes 88
5.2.3.1. Primary Treatment 89
5.2.3.2. Secondary Treatment 89
IV
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cent.]
5.2.3.2.1. Activated Sludge 89
5.2.3.2.2. Trickling Filter 89
5.2.3.2.3. Lagoons 90
5.2.3.2.4. Land Treatment 90
5.2.3.3. Advanced Wastewater Treatment 91
5.2.3.4. Disinfection 91
5.2.4. Effluent Disposal Methods and Sites 91
5.2.5. Sludge Processing and Disposal 92
5.2.5.1. Digestion 92
5.2.5.2. Incineration 93
5.2.5.3. Pyrolysis 93
5.2.5.4. Wet Oxidation 93
5.2.5.5. Concentration of Sludge 94
5.2.5.6. Conditioning 94
5.2.5.7. Dewatering and Drying 94
5.2.5.8. Land Disposal 94
5.3. System Alternatives 95
5.3.1. Alternative A 95
5.3.1.1. Alternative A-l 96
5.3.1.1.1. Components 96
5.3.1.1.2. Construction and Operation
Costs 100
5.3.1.2. Alternative A-2 101
5.3.1.2.1. Components 101
5.3.1.2.2. Construction and Operation
Costs 103
5.3.2. Alternative B 104
5.3.2.1. Components 104
5.3.2.2. Construction and Operation Costs 107
5.3.3. Alternative C 107
5.3.3.1. Components 107
5.3.3.2. Construction and Operation Costs 110
5.3.4. Alternative D 110
5.3.4.1. Components 110
5.3.4.2. Construction and Operation Costs 114
5.3.5. Alternative E 117
5.3.5.1. Components 117
5.3.5.2. Construction and Operation Costs 122
6.0. IMPACTS OF ALTERNATIVES 125
6.1. Construction Impacts 125
6.1.1. Impacts on the Natural and Man-Made Environment . . 125
6.1.2. Impacts on Local Public Finance 125
6.2. Operation Impacts 138
6.2.1. Impacts on the Natural and Man-Made Environment . . 138
6.2.2. Impacts on Local Public Finance 138
6.2.2.1. Alternative A-l 145
6.2.2.2. Alternative A-2 !47
6.2.2.3. Alternative B 148
6.2.2.4. Alternative C 149
6.2.2.5. Alternative D 150
6.2.2.6. Alternative E 150
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Concluded)
Page
6.3. Secondary Impacts ..................... 150
6.3.1. Indirect and Induced Growth ............ 151
6.3.2. Impacts of Induced Growth ............. 152
6.4. Minimization of Adverse Impacts .............. 152
6.4.1. Construction Impacts ............... 152
6.4.2. Operation Impacts .................
6.4.3. Secondary Impacts .................
6.5. Unavoidable Adverse Impacts ................ 159
6.6. Irretrievable and Irreversible Resource Commitments ....
6.7. Short-term Versus Long-term Impacts ............
7.0. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................
7 . 1 Conclusions [[[ 162
7 . 2 Recommendations ................................................. 163
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LIST OF TABLES
Page
1. Threatened plants 20
2. Phosphorus loads to Lake Erie 03
3. Population trends 38
4. Population projections 41
5. Income, owner occupied units, populations, wholesale trade, and
retail trade 43
6. Basic, local, and total employment 44
7. Debt, taxes, and SEV for ten cities 48
8. Debt, taxes, and SEV for townships 51
9. Occupied dwelling units 57
10. Median values of homes 57
11. Chemical characteristics of sludge 66
12. RVSDD service area and population 68
13. Utilization of RVSDD capacity 70
14. Average contributions of domestic and industrial flows 71
15. Ultimate population served by Alternative A-l& A-2 97
16. Capital, salvage value, and O&M costs for Alternative A-l .... 102
17. Capital, salvage value, and O&M costs for Alternative A-2 .... 105
18. Capital, salvage value, and O&M costs for Alternative B 108
19. Capital, salvage value, and O&M costs for Alternative C Ill
20. Capital, salvage value, and O&M costs for Alternative D 115
21. Ultimate population served by Alternative E 119
22. Potential future flows to the RVSDD and DD 120
23. Existing and projected capacities of six project area WWTPs . . . 121
24. Capital, salvage value, and O&M costs for Alternative E 124
25. Construction impacts 126
26. Allocation of capital costs for Alternative A-l 132
27. Allocation of capital costs for Alternative A-2 133
28. Allocation of capital costs for Alternative B 134
29. Allocation of capital costs for Alternative C 135
30. Allocation of capital costs for Alternative D 136
31. Allocation of capital costs for Alternative E 137
32. Operation impacts 139
33. Cost comparison for six alternatives 146
34. Secondary impacts 153
VI1
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LIST OF FIGURES
Page
1. Location of the project region/project area 2
2. Surface geology 13
3. Soil 15
4. Huron River basin 23
5. River Rouge basin 26
6. Archaeological and historic sites ... 59
7. Sewage collection districts 65
8. Alternatives A-l and A-2 99
9. Alternative B 106
10. Alternative C 109
11. Alternative D 113
12. Alternative E 118
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LIST OP ABBREVIATIONS
AQCR Air Quality Control Region
6005 5-Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand
cfs , . . cubic feet per second
COD Chemical Oxygen Demand
CSO Combined sewer overflow
DD Downriver District
DPW Department of Public Works
EIS Environmental Impact Statement
GLBC Great Lakes Basin Commission
HRWC Huron River Watershed Council
HVWWCS ....... Huron Valley Wastewater Control System
I/I Infiltration/Inflow
MDNR Michigan Department of Natural Resources
mgd million gallons per day
MWRC Michigan Water Resources Commission
N^-N Nitrogen as Ammonia
NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
O&M Operation and Maintenance
Total P Total Phosphorus
RVSDD Rouge Valley Sewage Disposal District
SEMCOG Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
SHPO State Historic Preservation Officer
SS Suspended Solids
SSES Sewer System Evaluation Survey
TKN Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
US-EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency
USGS ... United States Geological Survey
WWTP Wastewater Treatment Plant
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GLOSSARY OF GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS
PROJECT AREA - The Huron Valley project area includes White Lake, Commerce,
and Novi Townships, and the City of Novi in the southwestern
part of Oakland County; the western and southern tier of
communities in Wayne County, including the Townships of North-
ville, Plymouth, Canton, Van Buren, Sumpter, Huron, and Browns-
town, and the Cities of Northville, Plymouth, Belleville, Flat
Rock, Rockwood, Woodhaven, Trenton, and Gibraltar; and the
City of South Rockwood in Monroe County (See Figure 1, page 2) .
PROJECT REGION - The Huron Valley project region includes Wayne County and
sections of Oakland, Washtenaw, and Monroe Counties, Michigan
(See Figure 1, page 2).
PROJECT CORRIDOR - The project corridor is a 1.0-mile-wide strip of land
centered on the conceptual alignment of the proposed Huron
Valley Interceptor. The corridor also includes the area in
the vicinity of the proposed wastewater treatment plant in
Brownstown Township, Wayne County, Michigan.
SEMCOG REGION - The planning region of the Southeast Michigan Council of
Governments (SEMCOG) includes seven counties: Livingston,
Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne.
US-EPA REGION V - Region V of the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (US-EPA) includes six states: Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The regional
headquarters are located at Chicago.
EAST NORTH CENTRAL REGION - This statistical area, used by the US Bureau of
Labor Statistics, includes all of the states in US-EPA Region
V except Minnesota.
DETROIT SMSA - The Detroit Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area includes
Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne
Counties, Michigan.
GREAT LAKES REGION - The Great Lakes Region includes the State of Michigan
and sections of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, and New York.
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SUMMARY
(X) Draft Environmental Impact Statement
( ) Final Environmental Impact Statement
US Environmental Protection Agency
Region V
Chicago, Illinois
1. NAME OF ACTION
Administrative (X)
Legislative ( )
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION
The Wayne County, Michigan, Department of Public Works proposes to
construct the Huron Valley Wastewater Control System (HVWWCS) to provide
wastewater disposal service to the western and southern areas of Wayne
County and to part of southern Oakland County. The applicant's proposed
project consists of a regional interceptor sewer approximately 50 miles
long and a 49.2 mgd wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) which would be built
adjacent to Lake Erie. The new treatment facility would provide conventional
secondary treatment with phosphorus removal. Effluent would be discharged
via a 10,000-foot outfall sewer to the mid-channel confluence of the Detroit
River and Lake Erie. Existing treatment plants in the project area would be
abandoned. The applicant's proposed action is referred to in this document
as Alternative A-l.
Federal financing has been requested by the applicant under the statutory
authority of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (PL 92-
500) and the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1977 (PL 95-217). The facilities
planning consultant has estimated that the total capital cost for the system
would be $147,393,000 (adjusted to January 1978 price levels). The total capital
cost was recalculated by WAPORA, Inc. and has been estimated to be $207,001,000.
Average annual operation and maintenance costs have been estimated at $4,643,000.
3. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
The major primary environmental impacts which are likely to be associated
with Alternative A-l would result from construction and operation of the
interceptor and wastewater treatment plant. These impacts are discussed in
Section 6.1. of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and are
summarized in the following paragraphs. Many of the potentially adverse
effects may be reduced or eliminated by various mitigation measures, which are
discussed in Section 6.4.
AIR QUALITY, NOISE, AND ODORS
Construction activities would result in the generation of fugitive dust
and in the emission of fumes and hydrocarbon combustion products from construction
equipment. Noise from drilling, excavating, and equipment would be discernible
up to 2,000 feet from construction sites.
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Operations at the new WWTP would release malodorous gases and vapors.
Sludge incineration would produce controlled emissions of up to 50 pounds
per day of particulates, A minimal increase in ambient noise levels would
occur at the proposed WWTP and Trenton Pump Station sites. Odors and
operational noise from the six existing WWTPs would be eliminated.
GEOLOGY, SOILS, ANDTOPOGRAPHY
Disposal of spoil materials from both open-trench excavation and tunneling
could alter topography to a limited extent along the interceptor right-of-
way. Settling in trenched areas would alter the existing topography and soil
regime to a limited extent. No major operational impacts are anticipated.
TERRESTRIAL BIOTA
Open-cut excavation for emplacement of the main-stem interceptor would
disturb plants and animals on as many as 400 acres along the right-of-way.
Additional disturbance would result from construction of the Trenton and Van
Buren-Sumpter Arms and at the WWTP site. The most significant impacts are
likely to occur in the lake regions in Commerce Township and along the Middle
Rouge and Huron Rivers, No state or federally designated endangered species
are known to exist in the project corridor, although the conceptual route
contains the general habitat requirements for five plant species which are
considered by the State of Michigan to be imperiled.
WETLANDS
The proposed interceptor would cross or be located adjacent to 10.9 miles
of open or wooded wetlands. During construction, natural cover would be
removed, drainage patterns may be altered, and wetland habitat for state-
designated imperiled plants may be disturbed. Dewatering of trenches and
tunnels temporarily would lower adjacent groundwater levels, potentially
killing vegetation by dessication. Elimination of the effluent discharge
from the Walled Lake WWTP may result in a decline in wetland productivity
in the Walled Lake Branch area, especially during periods of low flow. A
total plant failure at the proposed regional WWTP could have a minimal adverse
impact on the wetlands on the western shore of Lake Erie.
SURFACE WATER
Rivers and drainageways crossed by the regional interceptor would be
affected adversely by construction. Increased turbidity and sedimentation
would occur. Limited or interrupted flows could result for short periods
of time. Temporary water quality degradation may result as impoundments
receive silt-laden flows from affected watercourses.
Long-term beneficial effects should result from abandonment of the six
existing wastewater treatment facilities. Inland waterways no longer would
receive effluent, and total phosphorus loadings to Lake Erie should be
reduced. The elimination of discharges from the Walled Lake WWTP may result
in seasonal lowering of downstream lake levels. Flow rates of the Huron
River would be affected only minimally. Impacts on Lake Erie would be limited.
A total plant failure could result in short-term violations of water quality
standards.
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GROUNDWATER
Temporary lowering of groundwater levels in the vicinity of the regional
interceptor sewer may occur. Local, shallow wells may be affected, especially
in the northern section of the project area. Widespread availability of public
sewer service would reduce the use of septic systems and lessen the potential
for groundwater pollution.
DEMOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS
An estimated 1,250 construction-related jobs would be created during
three construction seasons. Expenditures for system construction would
result in short-term induced and indirect employment in other sectors of
the southeast Michigan economy and in areas which supply materials for the
project. Few residents would be displaced by construction activities.
Employment at existing WWTPs in the project area would be eliminated but
additional jobs would be created at the new regional WWTP,
LAND USE
Construction of the regional WWTP permanently would alter existing land
use at the site of the Brownstown Township wastewater stabilization lagoons.
Adjacent land use also would be affected. Construction of the interceptor
sewer through parks and recreation areas temporarily would disrupt public
use and enjoyment of affected areas. The site of the regional WWTP is
located within the estimated 100-year maximum lake-level plain of Lake Erie.
TRANSPORTATION
Access to homes and businesses may be interrupted temporarily by
construction activities. Vehicular traffic flow would be affected by inter-
ceptor emplacement across or adjacent to streets and roads. Traffic congestion
would result from the movements of heavy equipment and vehicles associated
with construction. Roadway surfaces may be damaged locally,
CULTURAL, HISTORIC, AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
No cultural, historic, or archaeological sites are known to exist at
the proposed location of the regional WWTP in Brownstown Township. There is
a strong possibility that excavation for the emplacement of the regional
interceptor may destroy significant archaeological sites, especially in the
Lower Huron, Willow, and Oakwoods Metroparks. It also is possible that construction
may result in the discovery of sites which otherwise might not be
found.
RESOURCE USE
Implementation of Alternative A-l would commit $207 million irretrievably.
Engineering, administrative, legal, construction, and other labor would be
committed. Material resources and energy would be devoted to construction
of the interceptor and to construction and operation of the new regional WWTP.
The land required for the interceptor alignment and WWTP site would be
dedicated to wastewater management use for the useful life of the facilities
(estimated to be 50 years).
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PUBLIC FINANCE
Federal (75%), State (5%), and local (20%) funding in the amount of $207 million
would be required for implementation of the proposed action. The impact of such •
expenditures would vary from community to community. Some municipalities,
most notably the City of Woodhaven, may have difficulty in assuming new public
indebtedness of the magnitude required for participation in the HVWWCS. If
user charges were not sufficient to pay for construction and for operation
and maintenance costs, a special assessment and/or increased taxes would be
required. The expenditure of large sums for wastewater treatment system
construction and operation represents a significant social cost because of
the monies which no longer would be available for other public uses.
AESTHETICS
Construction activities would result in temporary adverse effects on the
aesthetic quality of the environment in and along the interceptor route and
at the site of the regional VJWTP. Removal of vegetation along the right-of--
way and at the Brownstown Township site, and construction activity in wooded
areas, wetlands, parklands, and adjacent to and across waterways could reduce
visual appreciation of the landscape.
PUBLIC HEALTH
The widespread dependence on septic systems in areas presently without
sewers would be reduced. Potential health problems resulting from contamination
of soil, groundwater, and surface water by septic system effluent would be
limited. Areas which would continue to rely upon on-site disposal systems
(such as White Lake Township) would have the potential for future localized
development of health problems.
The waters of the designated mixing zone for effluent from the regional
WWTP potentially would be hazardous for body-contact recreation. A total
plant failure could result in a temporary health hazard outside the mixing
zone.
The major secondary impacts which are likely to be associated with
Alternative A-l would result from increased development and land use changes
encouraged by the widespread availability of public wastewater treatment
service in the project area. The major long-term effects which are likely
to result from increased urbanization in the project area include:
• Modification of productive soils and local topography
• Loss of biological and economic productivity from destruction of
natural vegetation, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and agricultural
lands
• Increased runoff would degrade surface waters
• Increased local employment and income
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• Significant expansion of public services with a consequent need
for increased public revenues
• Expansion of local tax base
• Changes in long-term energy requirements resulting from commuting
patterns, housing location, and density of new development
• Loss of population from existing urban areas (especially Detroit)
through migration to the project area.
4. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
In addition to Alternative A-l, five other alternatives were considered
in detail (see Section 5.3.). Brief descriptions of these alternatives are
presented here. Impacts associated with each alternative are itemized in
Tables 25, 32, and 34. Many other alternatives were discussed at public
meetings held during preparation of the Facility Plan and the EIS. These
were not included in the analysis of final alternatives because of system
cost, adverse impacts, etc. (see Section 5.O.).
ALTERNATIVE A-2
Alternative A-2 would serve the same communities as would Alternative
A-l. The maximum population projected to be provided with interceptor capacity
by this alternative is 332,650 (versus 374,808 projected in Alternative A-l).
The proposed route of the regional interceptor sewer in Alternative A-2 is
identical to that of Alternative A-l. Existing WWTPs would be abandoned
and a regional plant would be constructed in Brownstown Township. A detailed
discussion of Alternative A-2 is provided in Section 5,3.1.2.
ALTERNATIVE B
Alternative B conceptually represents Wayne County's original Alternative
III. A projected 364,500 persons in the project area would be served by the
regional system. Alternative B would provide service to areas not included
in Alternatives A-l and A-2 (i.e., White Lake Township, BellevJlle, and
Wolverine Lake). The route of the regional interceptor would be similar to
that proposed in Alternatives A-l and A-2 but would extend into White Lake
Township. Existing WWTPs would be abandoned and a regional plant would be
built in Brownstown Township, A detailed discussion of Alternative B is
provided in Section 5,3.2.
ALTERNATIVE C
Alternative C would serve the same sewered population as Alternative B,
except that the communities from northern Novi to White Lake Township would
be served by an expanded and upgraded Walled Lake WWTP instead of by the
regional system. A new interceptor would be built to convey flows from the
White Lake Township boundary to the Walled Lake facility. The regional
interceptor would originate in central Novi and would convey flows to the
regional WWTP in Brownstown Township. The remaining five existing WWTPs would
be abandoned. Details of Alternative C are presented in Section 5.3,3.
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ALTERNATIVE D
Alternative D incorporates the same wastewater management system for the
northern communities as does Alternative C. Contractual capacities held by
project area communities in existing interceptor systems would be redistributed
in the central section of the project area. As a result, the regional interceptor
would be required only as far north as Canton Township. The interceptor route,
regional plant site, treatment processes, and methods of effluent and sludge dis-
posal are the same as described for previous alternatives. The five existing
WWTPs in the southeastern section of the project area would be abandoned. Alter-
native D is described in Section 5.3.4.
ALTERNATIVE E
Alternative E includes upgrading and expansion of the five existing WWTPs
in the southeast part of the project area and the continued operation of the
Walled Lake WWTP. Only limited numbers of the projected 1995 population would
be provided with centralized wastewater treatment. Alternative E offers no
wastewater disposal solution for Sumpter, Commerce, or White Lake Townships
These communities would have to rely on septic disposal systems or on some
other local solution. A detailed discussion of this alternative is presented
in Section 5.3.5.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
The US-EPA recommends the design and construction of Alternative D. This
system appears to be the most cost-effective alternative providing adequate
wastewater treatment facilities to resident populations and should meet project
area needs. Other alternatives have major secondary impacts which would be
difficult to mitigate. Alternative D would have a reduced potential for the
encouragement of out-migration from the City of Detroit and would aid in the
continued utilization of existing infrastructural investments. This is con-
sistent with national urban policy.
6. FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL AGENCIES. GROUPS, AND INDIVIDUALS NOTIFIED OF
THIS ACTION
FEDERAL
Hon. Robert Griffin, US Senate
Hon. John Riegle, Jr., US Senate
Hon. John Conyers, US House of Representatives
Hon. John Dingell, US House of Representatives
Hon. Jack McDonald, US House of Representatives
Hon. Lucien Nedzi, US House of Representatives
Hon. James O'Hara, US House of Representatives
Hon. Charles Diggs, US House of Representatives
Hon. William Ford, US House of Representatives
Hon. William Broonfield, US House of Representatives
Council on Environmental Quality
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US Environmental Protection Agency
Region I
Region II
Region III
Region IV
Region V
Region VI
Region VII
Region VIII
Region IX
J Region X
Facilities Requirement Branch
Environmental Evaluation Branch
Office of Public Affairs
Public Information Reference Unit
Office of Federal Activities
Office of Legislature
Michigan - Ohio District Office
Department of Defense
US Army Engineer, Missouri River Division
US Army Engineer, Ohio River Division
US Army Engineer, Lower Mississippi River Valley Division
US Army Engineer, North Central Division
Detroit District
St. Paul District
Chicago District
Department of Transportation
Region V
US Coast Guard
Federal Highway Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Railroad Administration
Department of Interior
Bureau of Indian Affairs
US Fish and Wildlife Service
National Park Service
Bureau of Mines
Bureau of Land Management
Historic Resource Preservation Commission
Department of Health, Education and Welfare
Office of Environmental Affairs
Region V
Department of Labor
Department of Housing and Urban Development
„ Department of Commerce
Department of Agriculture
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
Water Resources Council
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STATE
Office of the Governor
The Clerk, State Senate
Conservation Committee, State Senate
The Clerk, House of Representatives
Conservation Committee, House of Representatives
Bureau of Management and Budget
Department of State Highways
Department of Natural Resources
Attorney General
Department of Public Health
Department of Agriculture
Historic Preservation Officer
Water Resources Commission
Pointe Mouillee State Game Area
REGIONAL AND LOCAL
Multi-Jurisdictional Agencies
Huron-Clinton Metro Authority
Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority
Great Lakes Basin Commission
Inter-County Highway Department of Southeast Michigan
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
Ohio River Basin Commission
Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission
Huron River Watershed Council
Counties and County Agencies
Wayne County
Department of Health
Department of Public Works
Board of Commissioners
Board of Auditors
Drain Commissioner
Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service
Cooperative Extension Service
Oakland County
Department of Health
Department of Public Works
Board of Commissioners
Planning Commission
Drain Commissioner
Monroe County
Department of Health
Board of Commissioners
Planning Commission
Drain Commissioner
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Washtenaw County
Board of Public Works
Drain Commissioner
Townships
Brownstown
Canton
Commerce
Huron
Monroe
Northfield
Northville
Plymouth
Sumpter
Van Buren
White Lake
Municipalities
City of Detroit
Office of the Mayor
Planning Department
Board of Water Commissioners
Water and Sewerage Department
Walled Lake
Wolverine Lake
Novi
Northville
Plymouth
Belleville
Flat Rock
Rockwood
Trenton
Gibraltar
Woodhaven
South Rockwood
Farmington
Livonia
Wayne
Romulus
Westland
Wixom
Monroe
Taylor
Wyandotte
Ypsilanti
Southgate
Riverview
Lake Orion
Milford
xix
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Organizations and Individuals
Center for Urban Affairs
Sierra Club
Morgan Library, Colorado State University
League of Women Voters
Environmental Defense Fund, Inc.
Izaak Walton League of America
School of Natural Resources, University of Michigan
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.
Dr. Gordon McCallum
Boyd L. Rasmussen
Walter R. Courtenay
Harold Hochmuth
International Association of Game Fish and Conservation
Michigan United Conservation Clubs
Detroit Audubon Society
Citizens for Survival
Detroit Area Coalition for the Environment
Rouge Basin Coalition
Rescue the Rouge Committee
Citizens for Environmental Action
Friends of Earth
Citizens Action for Clean Water
Limnos
Michigan Environmental Information Center
Soil Conservation Society of America
Citizens for Clean Air
Michigan Lake and Stream Association, Inc.
Michigan Association of Conservation Ecologists
Hubbell, Roth & Clark,inc.
Lake Oakland Association
Keep Michigan Beautiful Inc.
Wolverine Lake Association
Citizens Opposed to Super Sewer
Michigan AAUW
Great Lakes Foundation, University of Michigan
The Huron River Group
Institute for Environmental Quality, University of Michigan
Lake Erie Cleanup Committee, Inc.
Dearborn Naturalist Association, University of Michigan
Helping Our Polluted Environment
Wade, Trim & Associates, Inc.
Lake Erie Advisory Committee
Monroe Environmental Action Committee
Pointe Mouillee Waterfowlers Association
Monroe County Rod & Gun Club
People for Lasting Ecology
Brender, Hammel and Associates
Environmental Awareness Committee, Geneva Presbyterian Church
Pointe Mouillee Home & Environmental Protection Association
City Beautiful Commission
Citizens to Protect Waterways
xx
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Committee to Protect our Water and Wetlands
Pointe Mouillee Homeowners Association
Concerned Citizens for Berlin Township
Michigan Audubon Society
Down River Community Conference
SAVE, Eastern Michigan University
Society to Overcome Pollution
Michigan Botanical Club
Conservation for Survival
Institute of Water Research, Michigan State University
Michigan Recreation and Parks Association
Environmental Action
xxi
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1.0. INTRODUCTION
The Wayne County, Michigan, Department of Public Works (DPW; formerly
the Wayne County Road Commission) proposed to construct the Huron Valley
Wastewater Control System to provide wastewater disposal service to the
western and southern areas of Wayne County and to part of southern Oakland
County (Figure 1). The DPW (on behalf of local units of government potentially
served by this project) prepared a "Step I" Facilities Plan and applied
to the State of Michigan and to the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (US-EPA) for funding of the proposed treatment works under the State
and Federal Municipal Wastewater Treatment Works Construction Grants Programs.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) certified the DPW's
Facility Plan and their "Step II" application for funds for detailed
engineering design, and forwarded it to US-EPA, Region V, for consideration.
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires a Federal
agency to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on "...major
Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment..."
The US-EPA published Regulations (40 CFR Part 6) to guide its determination
of whether Federal funds which it commits through the Construction Grants
Program would result in a project significantly affecting the environment.
Pursuant to these regulations and subsequent guidelines, US-EPA, Region V,
determined that an EIS must be prepared for the Huron Valley Wastewater
Control System before a grant could be approved.
1.1. Proposed Action
The Wayne County DPW's current proposal for the Huron Valley Wastewater
Control System is "Alternate Ill-Modified Wayne/Oakland Segment". The project
consists of a regional interceptor and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
The main-stem interceptor would' extend from the proposed WWTP site in south-
eastern Brownstown Township northwesterly along the Lower Huron River to
Hannan Road. From there the interceptor would be routed north along Hannan
Road and the Middle River Rouge, and then north through Novi and into Commerce
Township in Oakland County (Figure 8). The interceptor would have two arms,
one from the WWTP site north to Trenton and one extending west into Sumpter
and Van Buren Townships.
The Wayne County DPW's facility planning consultant estimated the total
capital cost for this system to be $147,393,000 at January 1978 price levels
(Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. 1976; estimate revised 16 September 1977). The
total capital cost was recalculated by WAPORA, Inc. and has been estimated to
be $207,001,000. This system and other alternatives for the project area are
evaluated in Section 5.
1.2. Background
The concept of a regional control system to serve the western and southern
sections of Wayne County was first proposed by the Wayne County Road Commission
in 1959. The first phase of the plan, the Rouge Valley and Downriver waste-
water control systems, was operational by 1964. The second phase was pro-
posed to be implemented by about 1980 when the communities in the far western
and southern tiers of townships in the county were expected to have developed
sufficiently to make a regional interceptor system economical.
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Figure 1.
Location of the Huron Valley
project region in the State
of Michigan (insert). The
project area is delineated
by the heavy black line.
LIVINGSTON CO
MILES
I ' I
0 6
WAPORA, INC
WASHTEN*W CO
MONHOC ~" CO
STATE OF MICHIGAN
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The second phase plan anticipated that a new, regional wastewater
treatment plant (WWTP) would be built near the mouth of the Huron River.
Wastewater generated in the western and southern townships of the county
was to be conveyed via a regional interceptor to the WWTP. Treated
effluent was to be discharged to Lake Erie.
In 1962, the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) recommended that the
second phase system be enlarged by extending an arm of the interceptor along
the Huron River to allow for the abandonment of the WWTPs which discharged
to the Huron River at Ann Arbor and at Ypsilanti. Preliminary planning
proceeded which incorporated this additional area. In 1970, however, Ann
Arbor and Ypsilanti requested the MDNR to approve independent expansions
of their existing WWTPs. Instead, the MDNR adopted a plan (based on an in-
dependently commissioned study) which was similar to the HRWC plan. The
MDNR plan expanded the HRWC plan to include a section of Oakland County.
Implementation of the proposed system was delayed by opponents of the
plan and by the need to wait for the availability of Federal grant funds.
Under provisions of the 1972 Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments,
a "Facility Plan" is required for a project before it can qualify for a
Federal grant. Wayne and Washtenaw Counties completed a joint Facility Plan
for the planning area in May 1976. The Facility Plan recommended that the
previously proposed, enlarged planning area, with the addition of Trenton,
Woodhaven, Gibralter, and central Brownstown Township in southeast Wayne
County, be serviced by a regional wastewater treatment system.
Communities in Washtenaw County opposed participation in a regional
system which would be governed by Wayne County. The Michigan Water Resources
Commission acted on 21 May 1976 to divide the planning area into three
distinct project areas. This allowed the Washtenaw County communities of
Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti to expand and to upgrade their existing facilities
with autonomous administration. This left the Wayne and southern Oakland
County section, and the other Oakland County area as independent project
areas without approved plans.
Wayne County, therefore, had to consider one of the other appropriate
alternatives presented in the Facility Plan: 1) Alternate III, which would
provide a regional WWTP at the mouth of the Huron River with a regional inter-
ceptor sewer extending the length of the project area with branches serving
the southeastern and Sumpter-Van Buren Township areas; 2) Alternate XIII, which
is similar to III except northern Novi, and Commerce and White Lake Townships
in Oakland County would be served by the expansion of the Walled Lake WWTP;
and 3) Alternate VB, which would expand and upgrade the six existing WWTPs
in the project area, and build one new plant at French Landing in Wayne
County to serve the western townships.
After numerous meetings, fourteen communities in Wayne County and three
in Oakland County agreed to proceed with Alternate III. The Monroe County
Community of South Rockwood, which presently utilizes the Rockwood WWTP in
the project area, also expressed interest in joining the system. Communities
choosing not to participate included White Lake Township and Wolverine Lake
Village in Oakland County, and Plymouth and Belleville in Wayne County.
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The Wayne County DPW modified the proposed system and designated it
"Alternate Ill-Modified Wayne/Oakland Segment". In March 1977, the DPW
applied to the MDNR for State and Federal "Step II" funds for detailed engin-
eering and design of the system. At the same time, the DPW submitted the
proposed cost-sharing schedule for "Step II" local costs to the participating
communities for their execution of agreements for payment.
The MDNR approved this plan on 24 September 1976 and forwarded it to
US-EPA, Region V, for consideration. On 5 July 1977, US-EPA issued a Notice
of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed
Huron Valley Wastewater Control System.
The Huron River Valley system poses unique and complex problems
which have significant impacts. No clear cut cost-effective
solution was identified within the facilities plan. Our review
of the alternatives indicates that the following issues must be
further considered in an environmental impact statement.
1) Documentation of existing pollution problems throughout the
plan of study area.
2) Coordination of the service area with the Detroit system to obtain
the optimum utilization of existing and mandated facilities.
This includes east-west relief interceptors to both Detroit
and Wyandotte.
3) Evaluation of the impact of sewer routings and river crossings
on wetlands and water quality.
4) Evaluation of regional demographics to ensure compatibility
with current State and SEMCOG population projections.
5) Evaluate cost data for options which do not include Washtenaw
County or the lower Huron Valley communities of Flat Rock,
Trenton, Brownstown, Gibraltar, and Rockwood.
6) Secondary growth impacts encouraged by the project include:
change in population density, rate of growth, non-point
sources of pollution due to urbanization and land use forecasts.
These impacts are all inadequately addressed by the facilities
plan.
As a result, the US-EPA, Region V, obtained the assistance of a consultant,
WAPORA, Inc., to assist in the collection of background information, to
consider alternatives to the proposed action, and to analyze the effects of
the various alternatives.
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1.3. Study Process
The bulk of the work on the preparation of this draft EIS occurred
between October 1977 and August 1978. During this period, WAPORA, Inc.,
submitted various interim contract reports to US-EPA, including "Existing
Environmental Conditions in the Huron Valley Project Area" and "System
Alternatives and Alternatives Evaluation for the Huron Valley Wastewater
Control System".
Public meetings were sponsored by US-EPA to facilitate public involvement
during the preparation of the EIS:
Date Location Subject
7 December 1977 Westland Study Process and Discussion
of EIS Issues
24 January 1978 White Lake Township Existing Environmental
Conditions
30 March 1978 Trenton Existing Conditions and
Alternatives Development
Process
11 May 1978 Plymouth System Alternatives and
Their Impacts
Several informational newsletters also were prepared during that time
and were mailed to persons who previously had expressed interest in the project.
During July 1978, systems alternatives and their costs were discussed by
US-EPA, Region V; WAPORA; the Wayne County DPW; local government officials
from project area communities; and interested citizens at a meeting arranged
by the DPW. US-EPA also established a Citizens Advisory Committee to
encourage the formulation of a "citizen viewpoint". An informal meeting of
this group during July 1978 was attended by US-EPA to facilitate dissemination
of technical material.
Many issues relevant to the preparation of the EIS for the Huron Valley
Wastewater Control System project area have been discussed through these
means or were recorded from various meetings and hearings in the past. Public
agencies and individual citizens have expressed concern about the potential
effects of the project on various aspects of the existing and future environ-
ment. The following list highlights many of the issues involved in this project:
• Existing water pollution problems in the project area resulting from
inadequate Wastewater treatment and failing septic tanks
• Impacts from construction of interceptor sewers on wetlands, parklands,
possible archaeological and historic sites, and other sensitive areas
• Protection of the surface water supplies at Flat Rock and Monroe
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• Present and future condition of Lake Erie
• Impacts on the Points Mouillee State Game Area
• Preservation of open space, prime farmland, and wildlife habitat
«
• Provision of adequate sewerage facilities to maintain community growth
• Compatibility of the project with SEMCOG goals for regional development
• Coordination of project area sewerage needs with the Detroit, Rouge
Valley, and Downriver Wastewater Control Systems
• Evaluation of regional demographics and forecasted project area
community population estimates
• Secondary impacts associated with growth which may be induced by the
project
• Possible oversewering of the area
• Effects of eliminating WWTP discharge to the Walled Lake Branch and
Lower Huron River during periods of low flow
• WWTP sludge treatment and disposal problems
• Effects of increased nonpoint source runoff from increased urbanization
• Potential constraints on future planning options from project implementation
• Resolution of debt retirement responsibility for WWTPs abandoned for
regionalization
• Evaluation of local project cost-sharing and its impact on local
government finance
• Additional consideration of land disposal of wastewater
• Energy and resource consumption
• Need to eliminate health hazards created by septic tank failures in
Sumpter Township, and septic tank problem areas in Commerce and
White Lake Townships
• Elimination of surcharging in Flat Rock sewer system
• Objection to a regional management agency controlling "local affairs"
• Downstream water quality degradation from expansion of Walled Lake
WWTP in headwaters region
• High cost to individual homeowners from building local collection sewers
-------
• Infrastructure planning has already anticipated regional wastewater
system implementation
* More sewerage capacity to handle increased flows from existing population
• Elimination of the threat of local sewer connection bans
• Enforcement of industrial pretreatment requirements.
This document addresses these and other issues related to the implementation
of a Huron Valley Wastewater Contol System.
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2.0. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
2.1. Atmosphere
2.1.1. Climate
The two major factors that control the climate of the project area are
location with respect to major storm tracks and the influence of the Great
Lakes. The normal wintertime storm track is south of Detroit. During the
summer, most storms pass to the north, often causing brief showers in
the project area. Occasionally heavy thunderstorms and/or damaging winds
result. Climatic extremes usually are tempered by the Great Lakes. During
the winter, arctic air masses moving across the Great Lakes are warmed and
moistened. As a result, the intensity of cold air waves moving from the
northern plains is reduced. Increased cloudiness and little sunshine are
characteristic of winter in the project area.
The wind is usually from the west-southwest during the winter and from
the southwest during the summer. The average wind speed is 10.3 miles per
hour. In winter, snow flurries are caused throughout Michigan by winds from
the northwest. The average snowstorm results in about 3.0 inches of accumu-
lation, with larger amounts building up several times per year. Many of the
large rainfalls during winter are associated with southeast winds, with the
most substantial amounts occurring northwest of Detroit. Summer showers
coming from the northwest tend to occur over a much larger area.
Precipitation is distributed relatively evenly throughout all months of
the year, with the largest amount usually in June. The average amount of
rainfall in the area of the proposed regional WWTP in Brownstown Township is
about 2.5 inches for the month of June. The annual average at that site is
about 25 inches, a low amount of rainfall for Wayne County (SEMCOG 1976a). In
contrast, the annual average precipitation at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport
is almost 32 inches, a more typical value for the Detroit area.
Temperatures average near the freezing point during the winter. Once
or twice a. year the temperature drops to near or slightly below zero degrees
Fahrenheit (F). During the spring and autumn, temperatures are quite pleasant,
reflecting an annual average temperature for the area of 49° F. During
summer, temperatures only occasionally reach 90°F. The highest temperatures
often are accompanied by high humidities.
The growing season averages 180 days in length (23 April-21 October),
with a maximum length of 205 days and a minimum of 145 days (from as late as
12 May to as early as 23 September). The waters of the Great Lakes exert a
favorable influence on agriculture in the area, delaying both premature
growth in the spring (before frosts are past) and freezing in autumn.
2.1.2. Air Quality
The project area is located in the Detroit — Port Huron Air Quality
Control Region, AQCR Number 123, which includes Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair,
and Wayne Counties, Michigan. Because the proposed treatment plant site in
Brownstown Township is located in the southeastern section of Wayne County
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which borders on Monroe County, the Monroe — Toledo Interstate (Ohio and
Michigan) AQCR (Number 124) also is considered herein.
Air pollution in southeastern Michigan primarily is attributable to the
heavy industries located along both shores of interconnected waterways
extending from Port Huron, Michigan, to Toledo, Ohio. The largest source
of this pollution occurs along the west bank of the Detroit River from just
southwest of downtown Detroit to opposite Grosse lie, which is immediately
north of the proposed wastewater treatment plant site in Brownstown Township.
Although the amount of contamination is quite large, a regionally hazardous
condition does not exist (relative to industrial areas located in valleys,
etc.) owing to dispersion by horizontal and vertical air movements. The largest
emitting sources in the project area are the Detroit Edison power plant, the
McLouth steel mills at Trenton, and the Michigan Casting Center foundry
located at Flat Rock.
Concentrations of particulates at seven of eleven air quality monitoring
stations in and around the project area were in violation of the 150 jug/m3
secondary (welfare-related) 24-hour particulate national ambient air quality
standard. As a result, AQCR 123 has been designated a "non-attainment area"
for secondary standards by US-EPA (published in the Federal Register 3 March
1978). The 260 jug/m3 primary (health-related) standard was violated only at
one site (at Frenchtown Township, a violation probably attributable to dust
from open farmlands according to the MDNR-Air Quality Division). One excess
of the standard per year is allowed (as occurred at Allen Park). At two
stations, Allen Park and River Rouge, located in Wayne County about 12 to
15 miles north of the proposed regional WWTP site in southern Brownstown
Township, the measured concentrations were in violation of the 75 .ug/m
primary particulate standard. These violations reflect the localized pollution
of the heavily industrialized Detroit and Dearborn areas, which include
Allen Park and River Rouge. Thus, these two sites are not truly representative
of the project area.
The five-year trend for TSP (total suspended particulates) in Wayne,
Oakland, and Monroe Counties indicates that particulate concentrations appear
to be declining. Monroe and Oakland Counties meet the 75 jug/m3 annual pri-
mary particulate standard and Wayne County soon will be in compliance with
this standard if the trend continues.
Data for the six sulfur dioxide monitoring stations within a 10-mile
radius of the Brownstown Township site were in compliance with the SO2
standards during 1976. All but one of the thirty SO2 stations in Monroe,
Oakland, and Wayne Counties were in compliance with the standards during
both 1975 and 1976. At a site in southwestern Detroit, three excesses
(two violations) of the 365 jug/m3 24-hour standard were recorded during 1976;
however, the problem was due to a particular point source which now has
implemented stricter controls.
All seven N02 monitoring sites in Monroe, Oakland, and Wayne Counties
met the 100 ug/m3 annual standard during 1976. The highest annual arithmetic
mean of 100 .ug/m3 was recorded at the Southfield and Lodge Expressways site
in Oakland County. This high annual average is indicative of the motor
vehicle emissions attributable to the heavy traffic on the expressways. It
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is not representative of the project area.
Carbon monoxide was measured at six stations in Wayne County and at
one in Oakland County during 1976. The CO concentrations are highest at the
two downtown Detroit stations, with a combined total of 91 excesses of the
10 ug/m^ 8-hour standard (89 violations) recorded. The residential areas
of the city experienced few CO standard violations, while no such violations
occurred at the suburban sites.
Numerous violations of the photochemical oxidant (or ozone) standard
were recorded at the three monitoring sites in Wayne and Oakland Counties.
The oxidant problem is considered a national or regional problem rather than
a local problem because of the large distances air contaminants (such as
HC and N02) are transported as oxidants.
Odors are sometimes emitted from industrial processes in the project
area. The existing sewage treatment facilities, however, have not posed
significant odor problems. Mr. William McLin, Wayne County Air Pollution
Control Division, reported that no complaints of odors from the existing
wastewater treatment facilities at Brownstown, Flat Rock, Rockwood, and
Trenton have been received (By phone, 22 November 1977).
There have been odor problems associated with the sludge handling and
disposal (by incineration) at the Wyandotte WWTP. Most of the odors are
released as the sludge (brought in from surrounding areas) is unloaded from
tank cars and is placed into temporary storage prior to incineration.
2.1.3. Sound
A survey of ambient sound levels was conducted in the project area on
6 and 7 December 1977. In the a'rea of the proposed regional WWTP, the
measured Leq(24) ranged from 49 dBA to 53 dBA at three stations. Nighttime
sound levels were slightly less than during the daytime. Daytime sound
levels also were measured at two stations along the proposed interceptor
route. Traffic accounted for the slightly higher sound level (Lecf of 56 dBA)
at one station, while the second station measured and Lecf of 53 dBA. These
levels are less than the Federal Highway Administration design noise level
(60 dBA) for tracts of land in which "serenity and quiet are of extraordinary
importance" (1973).
2.2. Land
2.2.1. Physiography and Topography
The project area is situated on a glacial plain which has been overlain
by beach and lake deposits. The topography consists of an undulating plain
which slopes gently to the southeast. A series of ridges and troughs extends
northeast-southwest through the central part of the area and parallels
glacial frontal moraines and former lake beaches (Enviro Control, Inc. 1976).
The highest elevation in the project area is approximately 1,150 feet above
msl (near the northern border of White Lake Township); the lowest about 519
feet above msl (at the silica pits in Brownstown Township).
10
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2.2.2. Geology
2.2.2.1. Surficial Geology
During the past million years, Michigan experienced four stages of
glaciation. The most recent stage was the Wisconsin Stage, which was
responsible for the deposition of the unconsolidated sediments prominent in
southeastern Michigan (Twenter 1975). The Wisconsin Stage consisted of
three lobes: the Saginaw lobe, which advanced from the northwest; the Erie
lobe, which advanced from the southeast; and the Huron lobe, which advanced
from the northeast (Noyce 1974). The landforms and surficial formations
of the project area were formed about 13,000 years ago by the ablation of
these lobes (Twenter 1975).
The project region can be subdivided into three regions on the basis of sur-
face geology: the Commerce Gravel Plain, the Defiance Moraine, and the Lake Plain
Each region represents a different form of glacial deposition and is characterized
by hydrologic and geologic properties.
Commerce Gravel Plain
The northwestern section of the project region is part of the Commerce
Gravel Plain and is characterized by an irregular topography and a low relief
of 10 to 40 feet per mile (Enviro Control, Inc. 1976). The topography of
this region contains many closed depressions (kettles) which were formed by
circumdeposition around stagnant ice blocks. These depressions are basins
for many of the lakes and marshes in the area. Other geomorphic features
include kames (hills of sand and gravel deposited directly from melting ice)
and eskers (ridges of sand and gravel deposited by streams flowing under
glacial ice). Kames and eskers are primary sources of commercial sand and
gravel in the project region.
The glacial drift in the Commerce Region is composed of 150 to 300 feet
of moraine and outwash deposits. Moraine deposits consist of unsorted,
unstratified glacial debris which was deposited directly from the fronts
of nearly static ice lobes. Outwash sediments, however, predominantly are
stratified sands and gravels which were deposited by meltwaters flowing from
receding glacial lobe fronts. Although grain size may vary considerably in
outwash material, most of the fine silt and clay fractions have been removed
by the meltwaters (Noyce 1974). Outwash sediment is generally more permeable
than moraine material and may provide a valuable source of groundwater.
Clay till directly underlies outwash deposits throughout most of the
outwash plain. It is relatively impermeable and serves as a bottom confining
layer for unconfined surface aquifers (Noyce 1974). This clay aquiclude also
acts as the top layer for underlying artesian aquifers.
Defiance Moraine
The central section of the project region is in the Defiance Moraine
and has a relatively high relief of 50 to 125 feet per mile (Enviro Control,
Inc. 1976). The Defiance Moraine is characterized by morainic hills and
till plains of unsorted, unstratified glacial sediments. The morainic
11
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ridges tend northeast-southwest. The Huron River and the River Rouge have
cut these ridges and have altered local topography.
Glacial drift in the Defiance region attains a maximum thickness of
400 feet and is dominantly moraine material (deposited at the front of a
nearly static ice lobe) and ground moraine material (deposited at the front
of a rapidly advancing or retreating ice lobe). Ground moraine and moraine
sediments are highly variable in composition and may exhibit rapid vertical
and horizontal changes in texture and permeability. They consist of
unsorted clay, silt, sand, gravel, and scattered boulders (Noyce 1974). The
Defiance Moraine also contains several linear deposits of sand which are
important aquifers (Figure 2) . The sand deposits probably were formed by
glacial meltwater streams.
During the final stages of glacier retreat, localized areas of south-
eastern Michigan were inundated by water from a large glacial lake. Lake
levels were controlled primarily by the position of the glacier as it
retreated to the east and north. As the glacier retreated, morainal deposits
were eroded and redeposited by the lake water (Twenter 1975).
Lake Plain
The southeastern part of the project region is part of the lake plain
formed by a large glacial lake. The lake plain slopes gently to the south-
east. Although relief in river valleys may be as much as 45 feet per
mile, relief in interfluvial areas rarely exceeds 20 feet per mile
(Enviro Control, Inc. 1976).
Glacial lake clays are compact gray clays which are weathered to yellow
or brown near the surface. They vary in thickness from 10 to 20 feet near the
mouth of the Huron River to more than 100 feet at the western limit (defined
by the Defiance Moraine). Near the mouth of the Huron River, lake clays
are separated from the bedrock by a veneer of sand and sandy gravel. Where
drainage is poor, lake clays are overlain by as much as 2.0 feet of organic
soil and muck (Enviro Control, Inc. 1976).
In addition to clay and sandy clay, the glacial lake plain contains fine
to coarse-grained materials which have been sorted by running water and wave
action (Giffels/Black & Veatch1977a). Glacial lake dunes, beaches, and
sand bars consist of sediments ranging from fine sand to coarse gravel. In
sandy lakebed regions of Sumpter Township (Figure 2), 35 to 65 feet of basal
clay are overlain by 5 to 25 feet of sand (Wayne County Department of Health
1974).
2.2.2.2. Bedrock Geology
In the project region 3,000 to 6,000 feet of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks
overlie crystalline Precambrian rocks (Twenter 1975). The regional dip for
Paleozoic rocks in southeastern Michigan is approximately 35 feet per mile
to the northwest. The consistency of dip, however, is modified by local
flexures such as the Howell and Freedom anticlines.
The bedrock surface in the project region has a southeasterly slope which
is interrupted by a north-south trending ridge. Preglacial drainage appears
12
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WATER-LAID MORAINE
CLAY LAKEBED
SAND LAKEBED OR SPILLWAY
GROUND MORAINE
;-/4:J MORAINE
Figure 2. Glacial ( -urfa^e) geologv of the Huron Valley project region
(Adapted from SEMCOG 1976b).
13
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to be to the south and southeast. Nine rock units outcrop beneath glacial
drift in southeastern Michigan. These include the Coldwater Shale, Sunbury
Shale, Berea Formation, Bedford Shale, Traverse Group, Dundee Formation,
Detroit River Group, Antrim Shale, and the Sylvania Sandstone.
2.2.3. Soil
The character of the soil in the project region is controlled primarily
by the parent material and by the landforms on which they developed. The
primary soil types in the project region and their infiltration rates are
depicted in Figure 3.
The characteristic soils developed on moraines and kames are the Hillsdale,
Beliefontaine, and Colona soils. Colona soils are well drained deep sands
which are relatively low in porosity and subject to wind erosion when ground
cover is removed (Noyce 1974). The major soils which have developed on steep
slopes of granular-cohesive till deposits are the Miami and Hillsdale soils.
These are well drained loams and sandy loams with moderate to poor internal
drainage. The St. Clair (well and moderately well drained clay) and Blount
soils (somewhat poorly drained clay loam and silty clay loam) also are pre-
valent in morainal regions (Twenter 1975).
Owing to rapid runoff on steep slopes and poor internal drainage of
deposits, morainal regions often contain large bodies of standing water.
Washtenaw and Wallkill soils form in these wet depressions and consist
of wash material from adjacent slopes. Flat ground moraine regions
contain moderate to poorly drained granular cohesive deposits. Predominant
soils in these areas are Conover, Brookston, and muck. Some muck deposits
exceed 30 feet in depth (Noyce 1974). The organic soils and coarse to
moderately coarse textured soils of Novi and Commerce Townships are acidic
(having a pH of 5.5 or less) and are highly corrosive to concrete (Giffels/
Black & Veatch 1977a).
In primarily outwash regions, soils become more granular with some
areas having tliin stratified sands overlying clay till. The domi-
nant soil types are Locke sandy loams, Oshtemo well drained loamy sands
(Noyce 1974), and Boyer well to moderately well drained loamy sands (Twenter
1975). Soils associated with outwash deposits are highly permeable and may
cause seepage and dewatering problems in open excavations and trenches during
construction (Larson and others 1975; Giffels/Black & Veatch 1977a) .
Soils of lake plains are mostly poorly drained with textures ranging from
fine to coarse (Giffels/Black & Veatch 1977a). Infiltration rates range from
1.0 inch per hour to over 12 inches per hour (Larson and others 1975; and
Knutilla 1971). A map of soil management groups for Wayne County (SEMCOG
n.d.) depicts the following soil types for sand lakebed and spillway regions:
Granby (poorly and very poorly drained sand with moderate to strong subsoil
development), Tedrow (somewhat poorly drained sand with moderate to strong
subsoil development), Thetford (somewhat poorly drained loamy sand), Fox
(20 to 40 inches of well drained sandy loam over sand and gravel), Oshtemo
(well drained loamy sand), and Spinks (well and moderately well drained
loamy sand). Soils of highly permeable regions include Granby, Tedrow, Thetford,
Selfridge (20 to 40 inches of somewhat poorly drained, loamy sand over loam
to silty clay loam), Pewamo (poorly and very poorly drained clay loam and
silty clay loam), and Corunna (20 to 40 inches of poorly and very poorly drained
sandy loam over loam to silty clay loam).
14
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Twenter (1975) notes the following soil groups for clay lakebed areas:
Brookston (poorly drained loam and silt loam), Blount (somewhat poorly drained,
clay loam and silty clay loam)/ Hoytville (poorly and very poorly drained clay),
and Colwood (poorly and very poorly drained loam and silt loam). Soils in
clay lakebed areas may exhibit high shrink-swell potential. Extensive shrinking
and swelling due to changes in moisture content may result in the rupture of
sewer lines and building foundations (Giffels/Black & Veatch 1977 a).
Classification of soils as to land capability is important for distinguishing
potential agricultural productivity, limitations to use, and management problems.
Criteria for capability classifications include slope, soil texture, effects of
past erosion, permeability, water-holding capacity and other features.
Soils are grouped into eight established capability classes, with the risk
of soil drainage or limitations becoming progressively greater from Class I to
Class VIII. Soils in Classes I through IV are capable, under good management,
of long-term sustained production of adapted crops. Numerous parts of the
project area, especially in the western townships, have soils which have been
designated Class II type farmlands. These lands are recognized under the USDA
Soil Conservation Service (SCS) criteria as "prime farmland" (43 FR 4030).
Information obtained from the Oakland County Soil and Water Conservation
District (By letter, Mr. James L. Reid, 31 January 1978) indicates that a sub-
stantial portion of Novi meets the criteria for prime farmlands. Major soils
in this category include Capac, Matherton, Metamora, Brookston, Colwood,
Sebewa, some Marlette, Owosso, Riddles, Pox, and Sisson. Fewer areas of
White Lake and Commerce Townships were noted as Class II prime farmlands.
Soil series in Class II for those townships include Marlette, Fox, Riddles
and some Capac, Matherton, Brookston, and Colwood.
A soil survey of Wayne County was completed in November 1977 by the SCS.
The following soil series were identified as prime farmlands (By letter, Mr.
Charles S. Fisher, Michigan State Soil Scientist, 14 February 1978):
Blount loam, 0 to 4 percent slopes
Blount-Pewamo loams, 0 to 2 percent slopes
Corunna fine sandy loams
Hoytville silty clay loam
Kibbie fine sandy loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes
Metamora sandy loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes
Metamora-Pewamo complex, 0 to 3 percent slopes
Morley loam, 2 to 6 percent slopes
Owosso-Morley complex, 2 to 6 percent slopes
Pella silt loam
Pewamo loam
Shoals silt loam.
16
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2.2.4. Terrestrial Vegetation
Existing vegetation in the project area was mapped by SEMCOG as part of
their Land Use/Land Cover mapping program for the Southeastern Michigan region.
Based on these maps, the following descriptions of existing project area
vegetation types were developed.
2.2.4.1. Woodlands
Woodlands are classified as areas with 30% or more crown closure. Wood-
lands are scattered throughout the project area. Most stands, including
the oldest ones, are found in parks and along waterways. Stands of virgin
timber are very scarce in this area. Four woodland-types were observed in
southeastern Michigan: oak-hickory forest, maple-beech forest, mixed hardwoods
forest, and hemlock-white pine-northern hardwoods forest.
Oak-Hickory Forest
Oak-hickory forests are found predominantly on drier soils, however,
they often occur on the margins of wetter sites. The dominant species are
white, black, and northern red oaks. Bitternut and shagbark hickory are common.
A mixture of sugar maple, black cherry, basswood, and hackberry often is
present in the subcanopy.
One conspicuous feature of oak-hickory forests is the abundance of shrubs
in the understory/undergrowth. Shrubs in this forest-type include red-
stemmed dogwood, blueberry, and hazelnut, and thorny species such as prickly
ash, gooseberry, and blackberry.
Maple-Beech Forest
Sugar maple and American beech are the most common trees in the canopy.
A nearly closed canopy usually is formed in mature stands which greatly
restricts the amount of light penetrating into the understory. Small canopy
openings, resulting from the death of a few trees, favor the reproduction
and growth of shade-tolerant species such as maples, beech, and hop-hornbeam.
The growth of shade-intolerant species such as northern red oak, black cherry,
basswood, and elm is favored when canopy openings are more extensive.
Mixed Hardwood Forests
Numerous species of trees occur in mixed hardwood forests. These
forests often are found on poorly drained lowland areas that are flooded during
spring. Boxelder, red maple, silver maple, slippery elm, yellow birch,
large-toothed aspen, northern red oak, and white and green ashes are
common. Cottonwood, shagbark and mockernut hickories, sycamore, prickly ash,
and swamp white oak also may be present.
A variety of rose species, along with red osier, flowering dogwood, hop-
hornbeam, staghorn sumac, black haw, buckthorn, and common blackberry occur
throughout the shrub stratum. Herbaceous plants include meadowsweet, hardhack,
aster, and Queen Anne's lace.
17
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Hemlock-White Pine-Northern Hardwood Forests
The hemlock-white pine-northern hardwood forest is favored on loamy or
clay-loam soils in cool, moist climates that exist near the northern border
of the project area. Virgin or near-virgin tracts of forest are small and
occur as isolated stands interspersed between secondary forests. Species
characteristic of the northern hardwood forest are hemlock, yellow birch,
sugar maple, basswood, and white ash. American elm was a major component of
this forest until the 1960s when the Dutch elm disease spread throughout the
area. Subdominant tree species include paper birch, red maple, American elm,
northern red oak, and hop-hornbeam.
In general, the understory is sparse. Shrubs are not abundant, and
include sumac, red osier, red-panicled dogwood, and leather-leaf. Herbaceous
plants are uncommon in mature hemlock-hardwood forests. Canadian mayflower
may be common locally as well as ground pine.
2.2.4.2. Brushland and Grasslands
Brushlands in the project area are composed ot assemblages of patchy
to continuous shrub growth. Vegetation of this type frequently represents
a response to large-scale disturbance of forested land. Dry upland soils
covered predominantly with shrubs and underbrush, and railroad rights-of-way
also are included in this category. The majority of areas designated as
grassland areas in this region are managed and are subject to periodic
mowing. As a result the diversity of plant life is restricted. These
areas include pasture, deserted cropland, golf courses, field and picnic
areas, and cemeteries.
2.2.4.3. Agricultural Land
A large percentage of land in the project area is used for agricultural
purposes. Approximately 32% of the land in Oakland and Wayne Counties is
under cultivation (SEMCOG 1976c) . The crops most commonly grown in this area
are corn, oats, soybeans, wheat, barley, potatoes, field beans, and sugar
beets. Other crops include tomatoes, mushrooms, celery, dry beans, sweet
corn, fruits, and sod.
2.2.4.4. Wetlands
Wetlands are the poorly-drained areas that are transitional between dry
land and open water. Seasonal and yearly variations in the borders of wet-
lands often make it difficult to define these areas. Phreatophytes are the
most common plant form in project area wetlands. Many of the species included
in this group such as large-toothed aspen, cottonwood, willow, alder, cattail,
bulrush, and various mosses have little economic value. As a whole system,
however, wetlands function as a valuable resource. Wetlands affect the quality
of water by absorbing and storing nutrients from upland runoff and in these
areas also influences the quantity to water by acting as a reservoir during
dry periods and retarding water flows during flood periods. Wetland vegetation
types also provide essential breeding, nesting, resting, and feeding grounds, and
18
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predator-escape cover for a diverse group of invertebrates, fish, reptiles,
birds, and mammals. Recreational use and land development in the project
area have diminished the number and extent of wetland areas and have altered
the natural structure and composition of the vegetation.
2.2.4.5. Endangered, Threatened, and "Rare" Vascular Plants
None of the vascular plant species in the project area are included in
the Federal list of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR 17). No vascular
species within the project area has been determined to be endangered
according to the Michigan Endangered Species Act. Table 1 lists species
which are considered threatened according to Michigan's Endangered and
Threatened Species Program which potentially may occur within the project
area. The data are not specific enough to determine exact locations, but
general habitat requirements are identified.
2.2.5. Wildlife
Wildlife constitute an important natural resource. Game species are
valuable to hunters and trappers. Non-game species often have aesthetic
value and may act as natural controls on animal pests. The 1975 Great
Lakes Basin Framework Study (GLBC 1975a) noted that the demands on wildlife
had exceeded the available supply. The constant increase in human population
levels with concomitant decreases in wildlife habitats pose a serious problem.
The project area includes a wide range of habitats (Section 2.2.4.).
Much of the area includes active and vacant agricultural lands and wooded
areas. Urban and suburban development are common in the southeast section
of the project area. To the west and north, the landscape changes from its
flat semi-rural character to a. rolling topography with numerous lakes and
wetlands, small wooded areas, and scattered farmland. Throughout the project
area the suburban nature of much of the region tends to limit the number of
some animals. They are unable to coexist with human activities, even though
otherwise suitable habitats are available. The most diverse and abundant
wildlife populations appear to be those associated with wetland areas
(Enviro Control, Inc. 1976). Wetlands are of moderate to high value for
waterfowl production (Michigan Department of State Highways 1976). Amphibian,
reptile, and mammal species also are numerous in and near marshes, swamps,
and bogs. The marsh area of the Pointe Mouillee State Game Area furnishes
habitats for many species of wildlife and fish (Enviro Control, Inc. 1976).
2.2.5.1. Amphibians
The Class Amphibia includes frogs, toads, and salamanders. They are
"cold-blooded", and control their body temperatures by moving to cooler or
warmer environments as necessary (Conant 1975). There are 19 amphibians
which potentially may occur in the project area. They include commonly
known species such as the bull frog, northern leopard frog, American toad,
and gray treefrog.
19
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Table 1. Threatened species of vascular plants potentially occurring in the
Huron Valley Wastewater Control System project area, Michigan
(Wagner and others 1977).
Scientific Name
LILIACEAE
Camassia scilloides
POACEAE
Zizania aquatica
var. aquatica
Zizania aquatica
var. interior
ORCHIDACEAE
Habenaria leucophaea
ACANTHACEAE
Justicia americana
ARISTOLOCHIACEAE
Aristolochia serpentaria
ASTERACEAE
Silphium perfoliatum
FABACEAE
Gymnocladus dioica
MALVACEAE
Hibiscus palustris
ONAGRACEAE
Gaura longiflora
Ludwigia alternifolia
RANUNCULACEAE
Hydrastis canadensis
Common Name
Wild hyacinth
Wild rice
Wild rice
Comments
Prairies and moist open woods
Marshes and shallow water
Marshes and shallow water
Prairie fringed orchid Bogs and marshes
Water willow
Virginia snake root
Cup-plant
Mud and shallow water
Moist or dry upland woods
Woods and low ground
Kentucky coffee tree Rich moist woods
Swamp rose-mallow
Gaura
Seedbox
Golden seal
Coastal
Marshes
Swamp and wet soils
Rich woods
20
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2.2.5.2. Reptiles
The Class Reptilia includes snakes, lizards, turtles, and alligators.
They are "cold-blooded" and are covered by scales or bony plates (Elliott
1968). There are 28 reptiles which potentially may occur in the project
area. They include commonly known species such as the common snapping turtle,
the eastern garter snake, the blue racer, and the eastern massasauga.
2.2.5.3. Birds
Over 300 different species of birds have been observed in or near the
project area (Giffels/Black & Veatch 1977b). Celeron Island in the lower Detroit
River and Pointe Mouillee are important waterfowl areas (GLBC 1975a). Birds
frequently seen in the project area include the cardinal, blue jay, crow,
starling,red-wing blackbird, mallard, and bobwhite.
2.2.5.4. Mammals
The Great Lakes region is a transitional area for many mammal species
(Burt 1957). Common mammals which are among the 56 which may occur in or near
the project area include the raccoon, eastern cottontail rabbit, fox squirrel,
opossum, and red fox.
2.2.5.5. Endangered and Threatened Animals
One amphibian, three reptiles, eleven birds, and six mammals which poten-
tially may be found in or near the Huron Valley project area are included on
the State list of threatened and/or endangered species. Four of these species
also are on the Federal list. The animals listed by the State as imperiled
are listed below. Species also on the Federal list are marked with an asterisk.
Common Name
Amphibians
(T) Small-mouthed salamander
Reptiles
(T) Black rat snake
(T) Kirtland's water snake
(T) Eastern box turtle
Birds
*(E) Peregrine falcon
*(E) Kirtland's warbler
(T) Double-crested cormorant
(T) Cooper's hawk
(T) Red-shouldered hawk
(T) Bald eagle
(T) Marsh hawk
(T) Osprey
(T) Piping plover
(T) Barn owl
(T) Loggerhead shrike
Scientific Name
Ambystoma texanum (Hatfhes)
Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta (Say)
Natrix kirtlandi (Kennicott,)
Terrapene Carolina Carolina ("Linnaeus,)
Falco peregrinus ("Tunstall.)
Dendroica kirtlandii (Baird,)
Phalacrocorax auritus (Lesson.)
Accipiter cooperi (Bonaparte,)
Buteo lineatus (GmelinJ
Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus,)
Circus cyaneus ("Linnaeus,)
Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus.)
Charadrius melodus ("Ord)
Tyto alJba (Scopoli,)
Lanius ludovicianus (Linnaeus,)
21
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Common Name
Scientific Name
Mammals
*(E)
*(E)
(T)
(T)
(T)
(T)
Indiana bat
Eastern timber wolf
Least shrew
Pine marten
Southern bog lemming
Pine vole
Myotis sodalis (Miller and Allenj
Canis lupus lycaon (Schreber,)
Cryptotis parva (Say)
Martes americana (Turton;
Synaptomys cooperi (Baird,)
Microtus pinetorum (Le ConteJ
(T) Threatened
(E) Endangered
2.3. Water
2.3.1. Surface Water
2.3.1.1. Setting and Flow
The project area includes parts of the Huron and River Rouge basins, the
lower Detroit River basin, and the western basin of Lake Erie (Figure 4). The
northern section of the project area in Oakland County has numerous inland
lakes and there are impoundments on the Middle River Rouge and Huron River
in the project area.
The quantity of flow in the rivers and streams of the project area is
determined by the amount of overland runoff from precipitation events, from
water entering the streams from groundwater flow, and from wastewater discharged
to the streams. Stream flow is usually highest in late winter and spring
because of increased runoff, and lowest in late summer and fall when the least
amount of precipitation occurs. Stream flow has been altered by the emplacement
of hydraulic control structures at numerous locations on the Huron and Middle
River Rouge systems. Flow also has been obstructed by encroachment onto the
rivers' flood plains through the placement of fill and the addition of
bridges.
Upper Huron River
The Huron River originates in Big Lake in west-central Oakland County
(Figure 4) and flows to the southeast through the Huron Swamp. The river
enters the northern section of the project area upon crossing into White Lake
Township from the north.
Flow in this upper reach is measured by the US Geologic Survey (USGS)
at Commerce Road Bridge (USGS 1976). Average discharge over 29 years of record
at the station is 37.7 cfs. The maximum recorded discharge is 266 cfs (1947)
and the minimum is 3.3 cfs(1971). The drainage area above this gage is 57.3
square miles.
There are a significant number of lakes along the main-stem river in
White Lake and Commerce Townships: Pontiac Lake, Oxbow Lake, Cedar Island
Lake, Mud Lake, Fox Lake, Commerce Lake, and Proud Lake. The lakes and the
wetlands along the upper river's main channel serve to attenuate peak river
22
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Figure 4. The Huron River basin, Michigan (Adapted from MDNR 1977a)
The project area is indicated by heavy black line.
23
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flows by holding storm water runoff in temporary storage. In extreme wet
weather situations, flooding of shoreline development and fields has occurred
due to increased lake levels (Knutilla 1972a).
The river leaves the northern section of the project area as it flows
westward out of the Proud Lake State Recreation Area and crosses into Milford
Township. Flow in this reach is measured at the USGS Gage Station at the
General Motors Road Bridge just west of Milford (USGS 1976). At this point
the drainage area is 132 square miles. The average discharge over 27 years
of record is 97.0 cfs. The maximum recorded discharge is 645 cfs (1950) and
the minimum, 5.2 cfs (1971).
Lower Huron River
The Huron River reenters the project area at the head of Belleville
Lake, about 70 river miles downstream from where it left the northern part of
the project area west of Commerce. At this point the river has increased con-
siderably in volume of flow and varies in width from 50 feet to 0.5 mile.
The watershed of the Lower Huron River between Belleville Lake and the river's
mouth at Lake Erie (near Pointe Mouillee) is relatively narrow. Of the total
908 square-mile area of the Huron River watershed, 833 square miles drain to
the river upstream from Belleville Lake (Knutilla 1972a).
Belleville Lake is nearly 8 miles long and was formed in 1925 by the
construction by Detroit Edison of the French Landing Dam as a hydroelectric
power project (SEMCOG 1978a). Approximately 18 river miles downstream from
this impoundment is a lowhead dam at Flat Rock. The Flat Rock Dam is owned
by the City of Flat Rock and originally was used for electric power generation
purposes. Neither of these power generation facilities are operational
now.
The nearest river flow gage is the USGS gage approximately 22 miles
upstream from the French Landing Dam at Ann Arbor (drainage area above gage
is 736 square miles). The average flow of record at this point is 454 cfs,
an increase of more than eleven times the average flow of the river in the
northern part of the project area at Commerce. Flow in the Lower Huron River
is regulated by the discharge from the French Landing Dam, and to a lesser
extent by the dam at Flat Rock.
Ten-year, 7-day low flow values for the lower reach of the Huron
River have been calculated for purposes of water quality planning. At
Belleville Lake, a value of 77 cfs has been computed (McNamee, Porter, and
Seeley 1975). The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is utilizing
a value of 64 cfs in formulating wastewater discharge permit limitations
downstream from the French Landing Dam.
Flooding occurs at several locations in the lower Huron Valley from Flat
Rock to the mouth. Lowland areas near the river in Flat Rock and South
Rockwood have suffered flood damages in the past. The maximum flood of record
at the Ann Arbor gage was 5,840 cfs. Large floods also occurred in 1947 and
1968 (GLBC 1975b).
24
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Middle River Rouge
The Walled Lake Branch rises in swamplands south of Walled Lake in north
Novi (Oakland County). The Walled Lake Branch flows generally south through
the central part of the project area to its confluence with Johnson Drain in
Northville. At this point, the stream becomes known as the Middle River
Rouge (Figure 5 ).
Flow in the Walled Lake Branch is intermittent, with no flow occurring
during sustained dry weather conditions. Continuous flow occurs downstream
from Northville in the Middle River Rouge. A flow of less than 1 cfs occurred
upstream from Plymouth in 1949 (Enviro Control, Inc. 1976).
Downstream from Northville are several main-stem impoundments: Waterford
Pond, Phoenix Lake, Wilcox Lake, and Newburgh Lake. Much of this reach of the
river is scenic and lies within the Middle Rouge Parkway and Riverside Park.
The Middle River Rouge flows out of the project area to the east, with
the eastern project area boundary transecting Newburgh Lake. The confluence
of the Middle Rouge with the main-stem River Rouge is approximately 14 miles
downstream from Newburgh Lake.
The USGS maintains a continuous record of the flow of the Middle River
Rouge at its gage station at Garden City, downstream from the bridge on
Inkster Road. This point is approximately 8.0 miles downstream from where
the river leaves the project area at Newburgh Lake. The drainage area in
the basin upstream from the gage station is 100 square miles, compared to 62
square miles above Newburgh Lake, causing flow measured at this gage to be
somewhat larger than is experienced within the project area. The average
discharge recorded at the gage for the period of record is 69.1 cfs, with a
maximum of 2,330 cfs and a minimum of 0.9 cfs. The 7-day, once in 10-year
drought flow at the mouth of the Middle Rouge is reported as 4.5 cfs by the
Michigan Department of Natural Resources (1974). At the Garden City gage
station, this value is estimated to be 3.75 cfs (Enviro Control, Inc. 1976).
Channel capacity of the river is small, which allows occasional overbank
flooding to occur during peak flows (GLBC 1975b).
Lower River Rouge
The Lower River Rouge has its headwaters in swamplands in eastern Washtenaw
County, north of Ypsilanti. It flows eastward into the project area, entering
Wayne County in Canton Township, and leaves it upon flowing into Wayne (Figure 5)
The latter point is approximately 13 miles upstream from the river's confluence
with the main-stem River Rouge.
The Lower River Rouge in the eastern part of Canton Township is bordered
by the Lower Rouge Parkway. The river banks throughout this upper reach are
largely undeveloped, maintaining the river's natural character.
Flow on the Lower River Rouge is recorded at the USGS gage at Inkster
(John Daly Road Bridge), 9.0 river miles downstream from the project area's
25
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0 4
WAPORA, INC.
Figure 5. The River Rouge basin, Michigan (Adapted from SEMCOG 1978b).
A section of the Huron Valley project area is indicated by the
solid double lines.
26
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eastern boundary (Canton Township - Wayne boundary line). The drainage area
contributing to stream flow at the gage is 83 square miles compared to 55
square miles where the stream leaves the project area (Knutilla 1972b). Average
flow recorded at the gage for the Lower River Rouge is 51 cfs, with a maximum
flow of record of 3,600 cfs and a minimum of 0.2 cfs. It is reported that
the river within the project area has had occasional periods of no flow during
prolonged dry weather (Enviro Control, Inc. 1976). The Michigan Department
of Natural Resources estimated 7-day, once in 10-year drought flow at the
mouth of the Lower River Rouge to be 0.9 cfs (1974). The value calculated
for the river at the gaging station at Inkster is 0.6 cfs (Enviro Control,
Inc. 1976). Because of the limited amount of channel capacity, the Lower
Rouge occasionally overflows its banks during periods of high flow (GLBC 1975b).
Inland Lakes
White Lake Township and Commerce Township in Oakland County, in the
northern section of the project area, contain many inland lakes. Some of
these lakes originally were formed as kettle lakes following the Wisconsin
glacial period (Section 2.2.2.). Some were created by artificial means.
Because of their attractiveness and inherent recreational potential, much
of the area surrounding these lakes is intensely developed. Some of these
lakes have public swimming beaches.
Detroit River - Lake Erie
The 32-mile-long Detroit River conveys the flow of the upper Great Lakes
from the southwest part of Lake St. Clair to the northwestern arm of Lake
Erie. This flow amounts to 93% of the total tributary flow to Lake Erie (GLBC 1975c)
The river averages 0.5 mile in width, but broadens to over 3.0 miles near
its mouth. The river varies in depth from 27 to 50 feet. The lower 19 miles
of river from the head of Fighting Island to Lake Erie has many islands
created by an extensive limestone outcrop. An improved navigation channel
is maintained through the lower river on the west side of Fighting Island and
the east side of Grosse lie (GLBC 1975c). The Detroit River serves as the
border between the United States and Canada, and the river banks are intensely
developed for residential, commercial, and industrial uses with Detroit on
the US side and Windsor, Ontario, on the Canadian side.
The flow of the Detroit River is determined by the differential elevation
of upstream Lake St. Clair and Lake Huron and downstream Lake Erie. The
annual flow of the Detroit River has averaged 190,800 cfs over the more than
100 years of flow record. During the past 20 years, variations in flow be-
tween a maximum of 223,100 cfs and a minimum of 154,800 cfs have been recorded
(GLBC 1976c). The approximate average current velocities of the river are
1.9 miles per hour (mph) in the Livingston and Amherstburg Channels, 1.8 mph
under the Ambassador Bridge, 1.4 mph in the Fleming Channel, and 1.4 mph at
Windmill Point (GLBC 1975c) . The Detroit River flow into Lake Erie influences
the movement of water in the western basin of the lake during all seasons.
The Detroit River enters western Lake Erie several miles north of Pointe
Mouillee. The western basin of the lake is slightly less than 1,300 square
miles in area and is the shallowest of the lake's three .main basins, averaging
27
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25 feet in depth. An escarpment extending from Pt. Pelee, Ontario, to
Cedar Point, Ohio, serves to separate the western basin from the central
basin of the lake. Because of its shallowness, thermal stratification
rarely occurs in the western basin.
A profile of the Detroit River at its mouth was developed by Herdendorf
(1969) based upon the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' 1963 and 1965 sur-
veys of water characteristics in western Lake Erie. From plots of subsurface
temperatures, it was determined that the river actually consists of three
water masses. Water with higher temperatures was found to occupy areas along
the shorelines, with a cooler midchannel. The warmer water moves southwest-
ward along the Michigan shoreline and eastward along the Ontario shoreline,
and the midchannel flow proceeds southward where it splits about 10 miles south
from the river mouth. The larger volume of midchannel flow continues south-
ward and the lesser volume moves toward Pelee Passage to the east. Strong
winds and pronounced seiches (oscillations of the lake surface) can signifi-
cantly disrupt this generalized pattern.
The average velocity of Detroit River water flow in western Lake Erie
was found to be approximately 0.5 feet per second. Mean residence time for
waters in the western basin is thus relatively short (0.17 years) because of
the flushing effect of the large inflow from the Detroit River. The estimated
100-year maximum level of Lake Erie is 577.9 feet above mean sea level (US
Corps of Engineers 1977) .
2.3.1.2. Uses
Upper Huron River
The Upper Huron River and its main-stem lakes provide excellent recrea-
tional potential, aquatic and adjacent terrestrial habitat for flora and
fauna, and a high quality setting for residential development. According
to Say and Jansson (1976), the Upper Huron River "will support a cold-
water, i.e. trout fishery for a portion of the year and considerable
angling occurs". Besides fishing, active recreation such as canoeing, hunting,
and swimming, and passive recreation such as picnicing, bicycling, sight-
seeing, and nature study are enjoyed on and along this reach of the river.
Excellent river-based habitat is provided by the high quality waters and
extensive adjoining wetland system. The attractiveness of the natural setting
has stimulated intensive residential development around the main-stem lakes.
Lower Huron River
Water-based recreation is popular in the lower reach of the Huron River
with sailing, motorboating, fishing, and swimming in Belleville Lake being
the most popular because of its accessibility. Public beaches on Belleville
Lake have been closed in recent years, however, because of poor water quality
conditions. Much of the shoreline of Belleville Lake is in private ownership
and is developed for residential use. The City of Flat Rock utilizes the
impoundment formed by the Flat Rock dam as a water supply. The sport fishery
of the Lower Huron River has declined in recent years.
28
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Middle River Rouge
Recreational use of the upper Middle River Rouge in the project area is
most intense at Phoenix Lake, Wilcox Pond, and Newburgh Lake. Both Phoenix
Lake and Newburgh Lake are popular fishing lakes, and both are stocked annually
with trout. Boating and swimming are also attractive at these lakes, except
during algal blooms. General recreational activities are supported by the
public parkland corridor along much of the river immediately north and west
of Plymouth.
Lower River Rouge
The Lower River Rouge within the Canton Township section of the project
area is free-flowing, providing river-oriented types of recreation. Stream
fishing, canoeing, and general recreational activities are provided in the
parkland corridor along the Lower Rouge Parkway.
Inland Lakes
The inland lakes in the project area have considerable recreational poten-
tial because of their proximity to population centers. Fishing is one of the
primary recreational activities, and several of the lakes in the northern part
of the project area support cold water sport fisheries. They include Oxbow
Lake, Cedar Island Lake, Union Lake, and Proud Lake. Both Oxbow Lake and
Union Lake are stocked with trout by the Michigan Department of Natural
Resources (SEMCOG 1977). Boating and swimming are also popular activities at
lakes in this area. Because of the recreational opportunity and the lakes'
aesthetic setting, the shorelands largely are committed to residential development.
Detroit River - Lake Erie
The Detroit River provides potable water for the cities of Detroit and
Windsor, water-based recreational opportunity, navigation, and the large
volume of clean water it conveys to western Lake Erie has a beneficial
flushing effect in the lake. Trout and salmon have been introduced to the
river improving fishing opportunities and Belle Isle Beach has been reopened
further facilitating use of the river for recreation (MDNR 1977b). Recreational
boating coexists with use of a designated channel in the river for navigation
by ocean-going vessels traveling inland on the Great Lakes Waterway.
The western basin of Lake Erie serves as a water supply for both communities
and industries along its shores, provides for water-based recreation, and
facilitates navigation by Great Lakes shippers. The Pointe Mouillee area wet-
lands provide valuable waterfowl and aquatic habitat, and is also a popular
hunting and fishing area.
2.3.1.3. Water Quality
Huron River
The limited water quality sampling data presently available for the
upper reach of the Huron River within the northern part of the project area
indicate high quality waters. As the Huron River leaves the northern section
29
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of the project area west of Commerce, all state water quality standards are
being met. Steady flow conditions appear to maintain relatively high quality
waters. Without wet weather stream sampling data for the upper reach, however,
no conclusions can be drawn regarding short-term river water quality changes
which might result from storm runoff contaminant contributions. It is likely
that increased solids and nutrient loadings resulting from runoff may tem-
porarily degrade the quality of the Upper Huron River.
Water quality in the Lower Huron River is governed by upstream water
quality, by non-point (area) contributions of pollutants, and by direct
discharges of wastewater. Upstream from the French Landing Dam (including
Belleville Lake), 70% (21 miles) of the river consists of impounded waters.
These impoundments improve the assimilative capacity of the river system by
increasing the time-of-passage (reducing flow velocity) which allows sediment
to settle out and nutrients to become entrapped. While potentially beneficial
to downstream river water quality, this effect has an adverse impact on water
quality in the lakes. Deposition of undesirable oxygen-demanding solids and
the algal growth stimulated by nutrient enrichment present significant prob-
lems (Environmental Control Technology Corporation 1974). Belleville Lake
is the last of the series of major impoundments on the river and its waters
are low in dissolved oxygen and high in nutrients.
The degree of degradation occurring in the Huron River upstream from
Belleville Lake is reflected by Water Quality Indexes (WQIs) computed by the
MDNR (SEMCOG 1978 a):
Reach
Commerce Road Bridge
Upstream from Ann Arbor
Downstream from Ann Arbor
Mouth of river
Minimum
WQI (1976)
_
61
57
52
Maximum
WQI (1976)
_
84
82
76
Mean
WQI (1976)
82
78
75
68
(WQI of 71 to 100 is good to excellent; 51 to 70 is medium; less than 50 is
poor.)
This is the result of increased loadings of solids, nutrients, coliform
bacteria, and other contaminants from both point and non-point sources. These
contribute to increased turbidity, nutrient enrichment, lowering of dissolved
oxygen concentrations, and bacterial conditions unsafe for body contact re-
creation.
Compared to the Michigan Water Quality Standards and guidelines, the
available water quality data-indicate that inflow to Belleville Lake is in
violation of dissolved oxygen, lead, and fecal coliform standards. Ammonia
and iron concentrations have exceeded levels believed toxic to fish. Total
phosphorus concentrations have been higher than recommended guidelines for
nutrient loading. MDNR classified Belleville Lake as eutrophic after finding
excessive nutrient concentrations and low dissolved oxygen levels during a
30
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limnological survey in 1973. Conditions existing in 1977 indicate that this
classification still is appropriate.
Elevated densities of fecal coliform bacteria were measured by the Wayne
County Health Department during the summer of 1977 at public beaches and at
other locations in Belleville Lake. The beaches were closed for the entire
season.
Water quality data downstream from the French Landing Dam generally are
sparse. The available data indicate that elevated levels of lead, iron,
phosphorus, and fecal coliforms exist in the Lower Huron River in violation
of State standards and guidelines. (For a more thorough discussion of the
water quality of the Huron River see SEMCOG 1978a.)
Middle River Rouge
The waters of the Walled Lake Branch, Johnson Drain, and the upper reach
of the Middle River Rouge in the project area are enriched with nutrients.
Sources contributing to this condition include non-point (area) contributions
of nitrates and phosphorus from overland runoff, storm sewer discharges, and
discharge from the Walled Lake WWTP. Michigan Water Quality Standards and
guidelines for dissolved oxygen, phosphorus, nitrate, ammonia, and total
dissolved solids were exceeded at the SEMCOG headwater sampling station on
the Walled Lake Branch at Twelve Mile Road during October and November 1976
surveys (the only two surveys conducted at this site). SEMCOG (1978fe) attri-
buted these values to the discharges from the Walled Lake WWTP.
SEMCOG also sampled the Walled Lake Branch farther downstream at Beal
Street in Northville. Most parameters sampled were in compliance with stan-
dards, with the exception of iron and turbidity. This was attributed to the
stream's assimilative capacity. SEMCOG (1978b) concluded that the iron is the
result of highly mineralized groundwater entering the stream. The loamy clay
soils of the stream banks and soils carried by runoff caused the turbidity.
Stream flow in this reach during steady flow conditions is about three
times larger than at the upstream station resulting in some dilution of
pollutant concentrations. Fecal coliform values measured during an October
1976 wet weather survey were in excess of standards. This was attributed to
contamination from storm sewer discharges to the river (SEMCOG 1978b).
Flow and water quality in Johnson Drain appear to closely resemble that
of the Walled Lake Branch at Northville. Iron concentrations range from 0.31
to 0.37 mg/1, which is slightly more than the 0.3 mg/1 recommended limit for
drinking water. Fecal coliform samples exceeded the 200/100 ml standard during
the October 1976 wet weather survey.
Downstream from the confluence of Johnson Drain and the Walled Lake Branch,
river water generally met standards during the SEMCOG surveys. During
summer, however, water quality deteriorates in Phoenix Lake and Newburgh Lake.
Results from water sampling by SEMCOG in 1976 indicate eutrophic conditions.
31
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Sediment transported as suspended solids in the river settles out in
these lakes. A reservoir sediment survey conducted by the US Army Corps of
Engineers in 1969 estimated that annual sediment accumulation averages 2.91
acre-feet in Newburgh Lake and 0.53 acre-foot in Phoenix Lake (SEMCOG 1978b).
Increased urbanization of adjacent areas without control of runoff and without
conservation practices on agricultural lands could increase this rate,
resulting in more rapid siltation. (For more information on the water quality
of the River Rouge system see SEMCOG 1978b.)
Lower River Rouge
The section of the Lower River Rouge within the project area was sampled
by SEMCOG in October and November 1976. Concentrations of suspended solids,
total dissolved solids, chloride, iron, fecal coliforms, and turbidity exceeded
State standards.
SEMCOG attributed the elevated levels of metals and other solids to
highly mineralized groundwater in the headwater area (west of the project
area). The high fecal coliform bacteria levels were postulated to be the
result of septic tank or animal feedlot wastes entering the stream (SEMCOG
1978b). No other water quality data exist on which to base more specific
conclusions. Downstream, to the east of the project area, the increased
volume of flow dilutes these pollutants to lower concentrations. Combined
sewer overflows from the Lower Rouge Interceptor, coupled with flattening
of the stream channel (resulting in a decreased velocity of flow), contribute
to water quality problems. Dissolved oxygen levels do not meet the 5.0 mg/1
standard and high fecal coliform levels present a health hazard at times
(SEMCOG 1978b).
Inland Lakes
Information on the quality of inland lake waters in the project area is
limited. Data which have been collected by MDNR and SEMCOG indicate that
the chemical quality and biological productivity of the lakes varies from
"extremely good quality--low productivity" to "poor quality—high productivity".
White Lake and Wolverine Lake have been classified as mesotrophic (MDNR
1977c). Commerce Lake, Oxbow Lake, Union Lake, and Walled Lake have been
classified as eutrophic (SEMCOG 1977a).
Nutrient sources which contribute to the enrichment of some of the lakes
in the project area include overland runoff, storm sewer discharge and
septic tank effluent. No detailed surveys have been conducted to determine
the relative contribution of nutrients entering the lakes from each of these
sources.
32
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Detroit River - Lake Erie
Phosphorus loadings to Lake Erie are of especial concern because it is
recognized to be the critical nutrient in the eutrophication of Lake Erie
(US Corps of Engineers 1975). Loadings of total phosphorus from the Detroit
River to Lake Erie have decreased by 64% over the 1966 to 1977 period. Table 2
shows the estimated relative loadings of total phosphorus to the western basin
from the various tributary sources which are responsible for the lake
concentrations. The Detroit River is estimated to contribute 77% of the
total phosphorus loadings to the western basin while the Huron River contributes
only 2%.
Table 2. Total phosphorus loads from tributaries to the western basin of
Lake Erie (US Corps of Engineers 1975).
Phosphorus Load
Tons/Year % of Total
US - Canada Detroit River 10,633 77
US Huron River 277 2
Raisin River 257 2
Maumee River 2,462 18
Portage River 123 1
Canada Sturgeon Creek 1 ^_
Western Basin Total 13,753 100
2.3.2. Groundwater
2.3.2.1. Occurrence
Glacial deposits are the most important source of groundwater in the
project area. Bedrock formations also yield groundwater; however, the rela-
tively low permeability of shale bedrock and the mineralized composition of
the groundwater in bedrock strata limit the use of this water for many purposes.
The well-sorted alluvial deposits of the floodplains and terraces along
the Huron River and Middle and Lower Rivers Rouge in the project region are
up to 75 feet thick and yield groundwater under water table conditions
(Mozola 1969). Water levels in these deposits often are close to the land
surface and are affected to a large extent by the volume of flow in the rivers.
Sand and gravel outwash deposits in the project region are the most
important source of groundwater. High infiltration rates in some areas
assure recharge of aquifers. Groundwater in surficial sands is generally
under watertable conditions and watertable levels fluctuate readily with
wet and dry weather conditions. Water in these deposits is especially suscep-
tible to contamination from surface sources. Artesian or semi-artesian con-
ditions also are likely to exist in sand and gravel deposits interbedded with
clays which act as confining beds.
33
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Moraines and till plains are less significant as aquifers, unless inter-
bedded with outwash and alluvium (Twenter 1975). Unlike conditions in out-
wash and alluvium, groundwater in morainal areas is generally under artesian
conditions. Due to the impermeable character of the confining tills, morainal
groundwater is much less susceptible to contamination from the surface than
is groundwater in an unconfined condition.
The predominantly clay sediments of the glacial lake plain areas usually
are poor sources of groundwater. In some areas, however, the sediments con-
tain interbedded sand deposits which, although usually thin, may serve as
significant groundwater sources for domestic water supply (Twenter 1975).
Water in bedrock in the project region exists under artesian conditions
in sandstones, shales, limestones, and dolomites.
2.3.2.2. Groundwater Quality
The quality of groundwaters in the project region is dependent on sub-
surface conditions and contamination from surface sources. Total hardness
usually exceeds 200 mg/1 in the floodplain alluvial and outwash deposits.
Water quality in deeper glacial deposits is degraded in some locations by
mineralized water from underlying bedrock formations. Water quality of
bedrock aquifers is generally good when withdrawn from shallow depths;
however, mineralization increases with depth.
2.3.2.3. Uses
The majority of residents in the project area depend on the Detroit
Water System for domestic, commercial, and industrial water supplies. A
significant number of wells, however, penetrate glacial drift and bedrock
aquifers. In the northern part of the project area, the communities of
Commerce, Wolverine Lake, and Walled Lake each utilize wells for potable
water. Union Lake, White Lake, and the residents of the more rural parts of
the area not served by these systems rely on individual wells for supply.
In the Wayne County section of the project area, Belleville utilizes some
groundwater to supplement the water it purchases from Detroit. Residents of
Sumpter and Huron Townships rely to a great extent on individual wells for
domestic supply. Other developed parts of Wayne County purchase water from
the Detroit System, except for Flat Rock and Rockwood, which utilize water
from the Huron River.
2.3.3. Aquatic Biota
2.3.3.1. Upper and Lower Huron River
Based on limited sampling of the Upper Huron River by WAPORA, species of
plankton seem to be similar to those generally found in lake habitats. The
Upper Huron, with a diversity of habitats and good water quality (Section
2.3.1.3.), is reported to support an ephemeropteran (mayfly) - trichopteran
(caddisfly) assemblage of species (Enviro Control, Inc. 1976).
34
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The Upper Huron River supports typical "lake" fishes, including four
game species and 11 pan species. The sunfish and bass fishery of this segment
of the Huron is the most important in the project area. Thirty-six non-game
forage species occur in the area, including the cisco, which is considered
a "threatened" species in the State of Michigan.
Diatoms, green algae, and blue-green algae are the three major groups of
plankton in the Huron River. Green algae, especially Chlamydomonas, have their
greatest number of blooms in the lower segments of the river (Borchardt 1958).
Benthic communities of the Lower Huron have been described as an
oligochaete (worm) - chironomid (midge) assemblage (Enviro Control, Inc.
1976). Areas of deoxygenated water and substrates with heavy, organically-
rich silt loads tend to increase the number of tubificid habitats.
The Lower Huron River supports 11 game species and 11 pan species of fish.
Several hybrids introduced for recreation purposes also are present. Thirty-
eight non-game species have been recorded from the area. No threatened or
endangered species are known to occur in this section of the river.
2.3.3.2. Middle and Lower Rivers Rouge
Phytoplankton communities of the sections of the Middle and Lower Rivers Rouge
in the project area generally are dominated by diatoms, especially Navicula.
This community was described as indicative of moderate water quality (MWRC 1975).
Benthic populations are considered indicative of moderately enriched
waters (MWRC 1975). The Middle Rouge segment had communities composed of
leeches, snails, crayfish, damselfly naiads, true bugs, beetles, and midges.
The community was reduced to only the most pollution-tolerant species for
some distance immediately north of the 10-Mile Road in Novi. This was
attributed to the wastewater discharge from the Michigan Tractor Sales
facility (MWRC 1975). Water quality recovered downstream and the number of
species increased. The Lower Rouge benthos in the project area were dominated
by chironomids, again characteristic of enriched waters.
The Middle and Lower Rivers Rouge section of the project area encompasses
small streams which support fish communities in undegraded remnants of the
drainage. Sport fisheries are of minor importance, although a few game and
pan species do occur. The redside dace, a species designated as "threatened"
by the State of Michigan, has been noted in the Johnson Drain area, south of
Northville (MWRC 1975). Thirty-four species have been recorded from the
area and 13 additional species have been reported in nearby drainages. It
appears, however, that the number of species in the area is decreasing. Only
23 species were recorded in recent surveys (MWRC 1975).
2.3.3.3. Detroit River - Lake Erie
Plankton in the western basin of Lake Erie appear to be increasing in
total numbers. Diatoms seem to be decreasing and blue-green and green algal
populations are increasing. Species of blue-green algae associated with
organic pollutants are becoming more common (GLBC 1975d).
35
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The western basin area at the mouth of the Detroit River exhibits a very
high density of pollution-tolerant organisms such as tubificid worms and
chironomids. Some of the highest densities of benthic organisms in the
entire lake have been reported in this area (Veal and Osmond 1968).
The species of fish most commonly found in the western basin of Lake
Erie include the white bass, walleye, yellow perch, carp, buffalo, catfish,
and suckers (Corps of Engineers 1974). These species are regularly caught by
sport and commercial fishermen. Twenty-two species were found by trawling
in 1970 near Monroe, Michigan. Yellow perch, carp, goldfish, gizzard shad,
alewives, emerald shiners, spottail shiners, white bass, and sheepshead
(freshwater drum) comprised 97.5 percent of the total numbers of fish caught
(Parkhurst 1972). Though the productivity of Lake Erie has not declined,
Applegate and Van Meter (1970) point out that fish production has shifted
to medium and low-value species such as yellow perch, white bass, smelt,
carp, and sheepshead.
2.3.3.4. Threatened and Endangered Species
Five species which potentially may occur in the project area are desig-
nated by the State of Michigan as "threatened". These include the northern
madtom, silver shiner, redside dace, eastern sand darter, andcisco. With
the exceptions of the cisco (or lake herring) and the redside dace, these
species are reported from the western section of the Huron River, outside
the project area. No species of fish designated as "endangered" is known
to occur in the project area.
36
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3.0. MAN-MADE ENVIRONMENT
3.1. Demography and Economics
3.1.1. Demographic Trends
The Huron Valley Wastewater Control System project area is an integral
part of the Detroit Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA). The pro-
ject area is strongly influenced by the population trends of the City of
Detroit and the other segments of the Detroit SMSA.
Detroit population began to decline after 1950, and the suburbs to the
west and north received most of the higher income emigrants. Eventually,
many of these communities lost population to suburbs still farther north and
west. The continuing Detroit out-migration favored these more distant areas.
Some of the project area communities fall into this group. Between 1960 and
1970 the US Bureau of the Census reported a net loss of 158,662 for Detroit.
The 1960 to 1970 growth rate was -9.5%. Detroit's rate of population loss
accelerated to -11.7% during the 1970 to 1975 period, with a net loss of
156,397. Wayne County's overall low growth rate between 1960 and 1970 and
its loss of population since 1970 may be explained by the Detroit losses.
Communities on the periphery of Detroit have exhibited varying abilities
to attract the migrating population, which is still strongly tied to the
Detroit area because of its industry. Jobs, income, and financial strength
have shifted to project area communities according to the ability of the
various communities to compete for metropolitan population. The exodus of
"basic" industry from the inner city to less densely populated areas at the
periphery has been another influence on population trends in the project area.
In the outlying communities, it is more economical for industry to acquire
the large tracks of land needed for structures adapted to modern manufacturing.
Development of highways has made producers less dependent on rail and water
transportation. Tax advantages, primarily in the form of lower property
taxes and lower land costs also have been an important incentive for indus-
trial out-migration.
Project area population growth rates are higher than US, State of Michigan,
and Detroit SMSA rates. The trends from 1960 to 1970 and 1970 to 1975 are
shown in Table 3.
Oakland County
Oakland County's rate of growth was relatively high between 1960 and 1970
(31.5%). This was much higher than the rate for the Detroit SMSA over the
same period. Population growth in Oakland County from 1970 to 1975 (6.3%)
was not as rapid as it had been during the 1960s.
The section of the project area in Oakland County grew at a slightly
lower rate (30.5%) than the County as a whole between 1960 and 1970. While
Oakland County overall has sustained a lower growth rate between 1970 and
1975, the project area section of the County has grown at a rate of 37.1%.
Recent population trends may be due to the location of the project area near
37
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the western edge of the county. This region now is undergoing rapid suburban
development. The segments of Oakland County which are outside the project
area and which are closer to Detroit underwent their most rapid suburban
development during the 1950s and 1960s.
Within Oakland County, the City of Novi has been experiencing one of the
fastest rates of population growth in the project area, 11.1% per year from
1970 to 1975 (Table 3). Walled Lake and Wolverine Lake Village also have
experienced high rates of population growth.
Wayne County
Wayne County's population grew very little between 1960 and 1970. The
population of Wayne County increased by only 4,071 persons during the period.
This amounted to a growth rate of 0.15%. Between 1970 and 1975, Wayne County's
growth rate was -5.7%, a net loss of 151,568 persons. Population in the Huron
Valley project area section of Wayne County increased at a rate of 30.4% be-
tween 1960 and 1970. While Wayne County lost population overall during the
1970 to 1975 period, the project area segment of the County grew by 23.2%.
Population growth rates in Northville and Plymouth in Wayne County have
been stable or declining slightly. Recent completion of Interstate Highways
96 and 275 probably will have a substantial impact on these and the other
western suburbs. Belleville experienced a high population growth rate during
the 1970s (Table 3).
In the southeastern section of the project area, Flat Rock's rate of
population growth increased substantially from 4,696 in 1970 to 6,544 in 1975
(39%). Rockwood is the second smallest city (1975 population of 3,847) in
the project area and has experienced the lowest rate of population growth
among the cities.
Woodhaven and Gibraltar, neighboring cities south of Detroit, both had
populations of about 3,500 in 1970. By 1975, Woodhaven had grown to 10,700,
over twice the size of Gibraltar. Neither Flat Rock nor Trenton, located
near Woodhaven, have experienced growth similar to Woodhaven1s.
3.1.2. Population Projections
The primary forces affecting population levels in the project area are
the out-migration of population and industry from the City of Detroit and
its older suburbs. The historical trends in demographics were considered
to establish the validity of population projections presented by the Wayne
County Department of Public Works. Also, the projections and sewer service
area maps established by SEMCOG were examined. There was no consistent
pattern within either of the projections and both projections exceeded the
State of Michigan Department of Management and Budget projections. Gener-
ally Wayne County projections did not follow historical trends in the Oakland
County communities of Novi and Walled Lake. It is difficult to determine the
reasonableness of these projections without a great deal of additional in-
formation about local policies and projects (non-sewer related). All pro-
jections recognize a continuation of the present high population growth within
the next five year period. At that time saturation may be reached due to
transportation and environmental constraints.
39
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The Wayne County projections for Northville Township and Northville
project a higher growth rate than recent trends show. The growth rate in
Northville Township during 1970-1975 was 26.4% and the growth rate in North-
ville (Wayne County) was 4.5%. Wayne County has projected growth for the
planning period to be 224% for Northville Township and 213% for Northville.
There are no consistent projections for Canton Township. This area may
experience limited growth due to its location (near the Detroit Metropolitan
Airport and along 1-275). Nodal growth can be expected at interchanges
between 1-275, US-12, and M-153. Wayne County projects a continuation of
recent trends for Plymouth Township and this appears to be consistent with
normal population growth.
Due to many factors, the southern portion of the projected service area
may not show growth rates that are consistent with recent trends. Local
planning efforts and circumstances will dictate later growth. Several com-
munities may be reaching saturation (Woodhaven, Trenton, etc.) or may not
have land suitable for development (Southern Browntown). Factors such as
preservation of rural character are prevalent opinions in Brownstown, Pointe
Mouillee and Huron Township. In the area from Canton Township south to
Brownstown Township it appears that the overall projection by SEMCOG should
be realized with some alternative distribution of population. Due to the
discrepancies found in both population projections, the USEPA choose to use
the unadopted projections of SEMCOG (Table 4) which showed a moderate growth
overall for the project area and appeared to be more consistent with recent
trends in the southern portion of the project area.
Total project area population would increase from its 1975 estimated
population of 231,305 (Table 3) to a 1995 population of 407,605 — an in-
crease of 76.2%. This represents an average annual growth rate of 3.8%.
The projection of future population in the Facility Plan estimated a
1995 project area population of 421,808 (Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. 1976) .
No projections for the project area are available from other sources. New
projections disaggregated to the county level recently have become available
from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (US Department of Commerce) and the
State of Michigan (Department of Management and Budget). These projections
are lower than both Wayne County and SEMCOG projections.
3.1.3. Income
Per capita money income in the State of Michigan grew by 41.5% from 1969
to 1974. In Oakland and Wayne Counties the corresponding figures are 41.2%
40
-------
Table 4, Population projections for the Huron Valley Wastewater Control
System project area. (Based on SEMCOG Small Area Forecast
Alternative 6, 1977.)
1980
1985
1990
1995
OAKLAND COUNTY
Commerce Twp.
Northville (pt)
Novi
Walled Lake
White Lake Twp.
Wolverine Lake
WAYNE COUNTY
Belleville
Brownstown Twp.
Canton Twp.
Flat Rock
Gibraltar
Huron Twp.
Northville Twp.
Northville (pt)
Plymouth
Plymouth Twp.
Rockwood
Sumpter Twp.
Trenton
Van Buren Twp.
Woodhaven
TOTAL
16,415
2,859
30,571
3,683
25,395
5,013
83,963
4,802
39,981
51,028
9,763
4,147
10,098
17,387
3,048
12,000
18,727
3,381
10,414
23,612
29,480
10,819
239,687
19,613
2,490
29,284
3,755
26,496
4,527
86,165
4,741
54,212
60,147
12,030
3,283
12,837
21,093
2,775
11,452
20,012
2,905
10,855
20,867
32,717
9,460
279,386
22,253
3,072
29,150
3,529
29,232
3,964
91,200
4,562
50,287
57,757
11,915
4,246
14,160
22,900
2,766
11,518
20,561
3,399
13,540
22,260
39,413
9,972
289,256
24,402
2,883
29,218
3,406
32,197
3,874
95,980
4,404
52,908
59,785
11,683
4,029
19,766
22,390
2,995
11,848
23,002
3,588
18,899
21,368
45,537
9,423
311,625
323,650
365,551
380,456
407,605
41
-------
and 42.5%. Per capita income, median family income, and trade data are pre-
sented in Table 5. Overall, per capita money income grew by 45.3% from 1969
to 1974 in the eleven project area cities. This rate was greater than rates
in the State of Michigan (41.5%), Oakland County (41.2%), and Wayne County
(42.5%) over the same period. Detroit per capita income grew by 39.5%. Five
of the eleven project area cities grew at rates substantially larger than
either county. Similar data are not available for project area townships.
Per capita income increased by 51.5% between 1969 and 1974 in the City
of Novi. Income growth in the communities of Walled Lake and Wolverine
Lake Village was lower than the average for the project area. Walled Lake,
however, has the highest per capita retail activity of any city, including
Detroit.
Per capita income is decreasing in the City of Plymouth, although it
appears to be one of the most economically sound communities in the region.
Belleville's income growth has been lower than average. Plat Rock showed sub-
stantial growth in economic strength during the early 1970s. While the 48%
growth of per capita income from 1969 to 1974 was among the highest of cities
in the project area, the growth of median family income at Flat Rock and the 1970
median family income level were next to lowest among the eleven cities in the
project area. Housing values are relatively low in comparison with the other
communities.
Rockwood, in terms of per capita income, has experienced a high rate of
growth during the 1970s. Median income is next to lowest among the eleven
project area cities while mean family income exceeded the median by the largest
dollar margin of any of the cities. A substantial disparity in the distri-
bution of income may be the cause. The median value of owner occupied houses
is less than the average. Median contract rent is lowest in the project
area. Woodhaven's housing values (median contract rent and median value of
owner occupied dwellings) are the highest in the project area. Its retail
sales experience is second highest.
3.1.4. Employment
Employment trends, especially of the "basic" industries, are a major deter-
minant of how an area's population has changed over time. "Basic" industries
produce goods and services that will be exported to other areas. Basic in-
dustries are considered to include manufacturing, agriculture, and mining.
"Local" industries serve the local population. All other employment is
considered local.
Basic, local, and total employment for Oakland County, Wayne County, and
the Detroit SMSA are presented in Table 6. Employment statistics for Michigan
and Federal Region V are included for comparison.
Employment in the Detroit SMSA, Oakland County, and Wayne County is con-
centrated in the manufacturing sector. The SMSA's level of local employment
is rising, but at a slower rate than the remainder of the US or Federal Region
V. The Detroit SMSA's growth in manufacturing employment has been consistent
with national manufacturing employment growth trends. Automobile manufacturing
employment has been increasing in the Detroit SMSA, but it has been at a rate
42
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Table 6. Comparison of employment trends (concluded).
OAKLAND COUNTY
1960
1970
1975
Change
1960-1970
Basic Employment 101,940 120,029
• Agriculture, Forestry (2,314) (2,220)
and Fisheries
• Mining (321) (439)
• Manufacturing (99,305) (117,370)
Local Employment 138,921 224,291
Total Employment 240,861 334,320
Multiplier 2.36 2.87
Population 690,259 907,871
Percent Employed 34.9% 37.9%
86,380
(637)
17.4%
(-4.1%)
(252)
(85,491)
214,857
301,237
3.49
965,200
31.2%
(36.8%)
(18.2%)
61.4%
38.8%
WAYNE COUNTY
Basic Employment
• Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries
• Mining
• Manufacturing
Local Employment
Total Employment
Multiplier
Population
Percent Employed
1960
383,076
(2,791)
(548)
(379,737)
570,833
953,959
2.49
2,666,297
35.8%
1970
378,654
(3,580)
(1,197)
(373,877)
619,550
998,204
2.64
2,670,360
37.4%
1975
301,194
(943)
(910)
(299,341)
499,701
800,895
2.66
2,518,800
31.8%
Change
1960-1970
-1.5%
(28.3%)
(118%)
(-1,5%)
8.5%
4.6%
45
-------
less than US automobile manufacturing employment growth. This concentration
in automobile manufacturing has made the Detroit SMSA vulnerable to periods
of high unemployment. This was the case during 1975 when economic recession
and the "Energy Crisis" resulted in a lower demand for automobiles.
During the 1960 to 1970 period, Oakland County employment grew at a
higher rate than the Detroit SMSA in the basic, local, and total employment
sectors. This indicates a higher level of employment diversity than found in
the SMSA as a whole. Employment is concentrated in manufacturing, but less
so than in the SMSA. The higher multiplier value indicates that in comparison
with the Detroit SMSA, a greater percentage of Oakland County employment was
in the local sector in 1960 and 1970.
In Oakland County both durable and non-durable manufacturing grew during
the 1960 to 1970 period. Durables manufacturing employment grew 24.5% while
non-durables grew by only 3.1%. Machinery manufacturing grew by 26.6% while
primary metals industries lost employment at a rate of 0.5% for the period.
Transportation equipment manufacturing grew by 9.8%. Textiles and apparel
employment had the highest growth rate (61.6%) of non-durables manufacturing
between 1960 and 1970. The lowest employment growth rate (-43.9%) in the
non-durables sector occurred in the food and kindred industries.
Unlike Oakland County, the rate of employment growth in Wayne County was
lower than the remainder of Michigan and the SMSA rate for the 1960 to 1970
period. Basic employment declined 1.5%, a net loss of 4,422 jobs. Because
very little of Wayne County's employment is in mining or agriculture, this
loss can be attributed to a decline in manufacturing employment. The local
employment sector grew in Wayne County during the period, but only at a rate
of 8.5%, compared to the overall SMSA rate of 44.7%. Total employment grew
by 4.6% from 1960 to 1970, while Wayne County was higher than either Oakland
County or the Detroit SMSA. In 1970, however, it was less than for either of
those areas. This indicates that manufacturing employment was of relatively
greater importance in Wayne County in 1970. This also is indicated by the
slow rate of local employment growth.
Wayne County lost manufacturing employment from 1960 to 1970 in both the
durables (-8.8%) and the non-durables (-21.7%) sectors. The greatest loss
(-14.1%) in the durables sector occurred in the primary metals industries.
Transportation equipment manufacturing employment rose by less than 100 jobs,
equivalent to a growth rate of 0.05%. Textiles and apparel employment grew
by 11.9% while food and kindred employment had a growth rate of -47.5% over
the 1960 to 1970 period.
From 1970 to 1976, the Oakland County unemployment level was less than
the SMSA but greater than the national level for each year throughout the
period. The lowest level (5.5%) occurred in 1973 while the highest level of
unemployment (12.3%) occurred in 1975. Except for 1971, Oakland County's
unemployment rate was equal to or less than the Michigan level. The Wayne
County unemployment level was greater than each of the others in each of the
years from 1970 through 1976. The lowest level (6.9%) occurred in 1973 while
the highest level (13.9%) occurred in 1975.
46
-------
Potential new industrial development in or near the project area includes
General Motors' tentative plans to build a new plant at Romulus and the pos-
sible expansion of a plant at Livonia (Michigan Department of Commerce 1975).
Employment statistics in 1976 indicate a recovery from the high unemployment
of 1975, although manufacturing employment is less than 1974 levels (US
Department of Labor 1977b).
3.1.5. Public Finance
The financial condition of the communities in the Huron Valley Wastewater
Control System project area basically is a reflection of the economic condi-
tion of the metropolitan area in which they are situated. The Detroit metro-
politan area has experienced significant demographic and economic changes
during the past fifteen years.
The nature of the economic opportunities being gained by communities on
the periphery of the metropolitan area as previously discussed are reflected
by the decline of a broad spectrum of services in Detroit. These services
will be expected to show corresponding increases in nearby areas. To a sub-
stantial extent capital improvements will be necessary, and will have to rest
on sound economic and financial bases.
One of the standards used to evaluate the financial condition of a local
government is "net direct and over-lapping tax-supported debt per capita"
(Moak and Hillhouse 1975). The ratio is designed to measure the total portion
of general obligation debt which is not self-sustaining. These ratios "supply
a relative figure for comparison with other governments, but do not show the
true capacity to support debt... In a residential suburb of upper-middle
income, or quite wealthy inhabitants, this debt ratio may safely be in the
$1,000-$5,000 per capita range, whereas in a suburb where only low-income
workers lived, $500 or less per capita might be a safe upper limit." In
Tables 7 and 8 "Net Debt Per Capita, Full Faith and Credit Pledge" most closely
approximates this ratio. It tends to overestimate the value of the ratio,
because not all debt with revenue support has been separated out. Furthermore
sinking funds or other funds maintained for the purpose of long-term debt
retirement should be included to offset community indebtedness. The cities
of Novi, Trenton, and Northville which exhibit relative economic strength
are well within the range of financial safety for reasonably prosperous
communities (Table 7) . The debt ratios of Novi and Northville are only some-
what greater than the average for the entire group, and are only slightly
higher than $1,000. Trenton's ratio, $745, is actually less than the average
for the group.
The tax rates of Novi, Trenton, and Northville are 58.51, 57.86, and
60.78, respectively, They are somewhat greater than the project area average
of 55.19. Two communities have total tax rates greater than 67. The corres-
ponding figure for Detroit is 71.83.
47
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Gibraltar, with a relatively low but rapidly rising income, has a debt
ratio of $779. Continued income growth would make its debt position appear
to be strong.
Woodhaven's net debt ratio of $1,320 per capita is second highest among
cities and townships in the project area. The low income growth referred to
earlier, and its relatively low State Equalized Value (SEV) make it uncer-
tain whether Woodhaven's debt position is sound*
Plymouth is another community showing possible signs of economic weakness.
Its net debt ratio is only a third of Woodhaven's. SEV per capita is about
the same as Woodhaven's, as is its total tax rate per capita. The two have
the highest tax rates in the project area.
Belleville, Walled Lake, and Wolverine Lake Village are experiencing
high population growth, but lower than average income growth. No debt data
are available for Wolverine Lake. The net debt ratios of Belleville ($559)
and Walled Lake ($233) are low. SEVs per capita, however, are also relatively
low: $5,227 and $6,499 per capita, respectively. Belleville's tax rate per
capita (56.12) is about average for the project area communities. Walled
Lake, on the other hand, is among the highest in terms of total tax rates
(67.15).
Rockwood, with a modest net debt ratio of $752 per capita is one of the
fastest growing communities in terms of income. Its total tax rate (56.40)
is about average in the project area.
The net debt ratio of Flat Rock ($870 per capita) is slightly higher
than the average for the eleven communities. This is not considered espe-
cially significant when compared to its income growth experience which has
been among the highest in the project area.
Data are incomplete for the various townships in the project area.
Brownstown Township's net debt per capita ratio is over twice as high as the
project area average Table 8. Commerce, Plymouth, and White Lake Townships
have less than average levels of net debt per capita. Census Bureau popu-
lation figures are not available for Huron, Sumpter, and Novi Townships;
consequently, no net debt ratios are reported. For the remaining townships
(Canton, Northville and Van Buren) there is no indication in their net debt
ratios of unusual financial condition—an impression which is reinforced by
the net debt as percent of SEV ratios.
A second ratio which provides a standard for evaluating the credit posi-
tion of a community is the "net direct and overlapping tax-supported debt to
adjusted assessed valuation. If reasonably accurate, this measure may be
State Equalized Valuation (SEV) is a measure which adjusts actual
assessed valuation upward to approximate true market value. Thus
it is possible to relate debt burden to the full value of taxable
property in each community.
50
-------
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superior to a per capita ratio because the debt burden is being related di-
rectly to the most important taxable base within the community" (Moak and
Hillhouse 1975). It is useful when property tax is a major source of revenue
to the community (30% or more). Nine of the communities in the project area
raise 30% or more of their general revenue via taxation (predominantly the
property tax, although taxation by type of tax is not indicated in all the
audited reports). The percentages are presented in Tables 7 and 8. The entry
titled "Net Debt FFC, % SEV" presents data on the net debt backed by full
faith and credit pledge as a percentage of State equalized valuation for the
communities in the project area. The mean percentage is 9.08%. There is
considerable variability in the values for this ratio, just as there is in
the per capita ratio. The correlation between the two ratios is fairly
high (0.70). Nevertheless, they are sufficiently distinct to warrant
separate consideration.
The communities which have the highest net debt in relation to SEV are
Northville, Woodhaven, and Huron Township. The percentages are 16.0, 17.3,
and 16.4. Taxes (predominantly on property) account for 36% of general
revenue in Northville and 71% in Woodhaven. They account for only 11% in
Huron Township. In Huron, because property taxes do not account for much
of general revenue, the relatively high utilization of the property tax
base may not be an important indicator of their ability to support new debt.
In Woodhaven, on the other hand, the great importance of the property tax
and the high existing utilization of the tax base, may be yet another reason
to question Woodhaven"s ability to support major new debt.
Some communities have not exploited the tax base to a great extent to
support debt, but rely on taxes as a revenue source. Such communities would
seem to have room in their financial structure to support new debt, so far
as the SEV criterion is concerned. Canton, Plymouth, Trenton, and Walled
Lake are such communities.
Among communities which have exploited their property tax base in sup-
port of debt only to a small extent relative to the entire project area are
Commerce and Plymouth Townships. Their net debts as a percentage of SEV are
only 4.51 and 5.87 percent respectively. General revenue raised by taxation
is also relatively low in these communities: 23% and 24% respectively.
Canton and Northville Townships both have relatively high percentages
of general revenue raised by property taxation; net debt as a percentage of
SEV is not high by comparison with the other communities.
Tax data for Brownstown and Sumpter Townships are not available. The
remaining townships—Van Buren, Novi, and White Lake—make less than average
use of the property base in support of debt.
53
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3.2. Land Use and Transportation
3.2.1. General Land Use
Land use has been changing from rural to suburban as the Detroit
Metropolitan area has expanded into the project area. Land use for Oakland
County and Wayne County (excluding Detroit) for 1953 and 1965 are listed
below (SEMCOG 1968):
Wayne County
Type of Land Use (Excluding Detroit) Oakland County
1953 1965 1953 1965
(sq. mi.) (sq. mi.) (sq. mi.) (sq. mi.)
Residential 77.4 115.6 72.2 128.4
Commercial 8.7 12.4 5.1 14.8
Industrial 14.2 22.1 5.4 12.4
Public Oriented Land 22.0 36.3 8.8 26.6
Recreational 6.2 18.4 41.8 57.3
Vacant Land 334.8 257.0 710.4 606.5
Residential, commercial, industrial, public, and recreation acreage increased
during this period at the expense of vacant land. The vacant land was primarily
agricultural.
Since World War II, large industries have tended to locate on relatively
inexpensive land in rural areas. Industrial development in the project area
generally preceded residential and commerical growth (Enviro Control, Inc.
1976).
Land use in the project area falls into three major zones. These zones
are (Enviro Control, Inc. 1976):
• Predominantly built-up areas containing continuous residential
areas, munufacturing plants, commercial nodes and strips and
scattered areas of agricultural land, most of which is inactive
• Isolated residential subdivisions and inactive agricultural land
with some scattered large parcels of manufacturing land
• Actively used agricultural land with widely dispersed residential
land, most of which represents single dwellings or strips of
dwellings along highways where small cross roads, nuclei of dwel-
lings, and commercial establishments occur.
3.2.2. Existing Land Use
Specific data on project area land use have been obtained from the
SEMCOG 1975 Land Use Inventory (1978). The information has been summarized
and is presented on the following page.
54
-------
Land Use Category
Commercial/
Industrial/
Institutional Residential Agricultural Vacant Recreational
(acres) (acres) (acres) (acres) (acres)
White Lake Twp.
Commerce Twp.
Wolverine Lake
Walled Lake
Novi
Northville
Northville Twp.
Plymouth
Plymouth Twp.
Canton Twp.
Van Buren Twp.
Belleville
Sumpter Twp.
Huron Twp.
Flat Rock
Rockwood
Gibraltar
Woodhaven
Trenton
Brownstown Twp.
South Rockwood
142
326
15
209
360
137
275
345
629
378
1,294
36
34
76
229
54
142
591
857
104
24
6,257
2,821
2,647
598
440
3,276
584
1,767
794
2,136
3,150
2,403
333
1,927
1,783
577
261
369
712
1,594
1,071
161
29,404
2,844
2,280
3
0
2,175
45
2,030
0
2,136
9,439
7,278
0
9,911
10,288
1,293
283
80
1,058
1,043
3,016
461
10,584
7,646
181
621
11,425
289
3,714
90
4,157
7,370
8,609
169
6,633
7,910
1,626
710
1,490
1,286
2,230
3,588
540
55,663
80,868
4,512
3,243
6
26
319
75
1,586
70
398
389
953
18
118
1,854
68
48
38
26
403
168
158
14,476
Oakland County
White Lake and Commerce Townships have large areas of open space and some
small farm areas. Commerce Township has experienced more residential develop-
ment than White Lake Township. The eastern part of Novi is dominated by resi-
dential subdivisions. Some open space and small farms are in the western part
of Novi. Overall, major residential development in Oakland County has been
concentrated around the lake areas (examples are the communities of Wolverine
Lake and Walled Lake). Other concentrations of development have occurred
along the major roads (Enviro Control, Inc. 1976).
Wayne County
The eastern sections of Plymouth and Northville Townships are mostly
residential. Brush and wooded areas occur throughout both townships while
agricultural land is found in the western section. The northeastern part
of Canton Township consists of a few large residential tracts, while large
amounts of agricultural land and scattered residential developments are
found in the remaining areas of the township.
55
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Residential, commercial, and industrial developments occur uniformly
along the east-west axis of Van Buren Township. This pattern of development
reflects Van Buren Township's location between Detroit and the Ann Arbor/
Ypsilanti area. Most development has occurred near Belleville Lake and along
the major roadways connecting Detroit with Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Agri-
cultural land is located in the southwestern part of the Township. Land use
in Sumpter and Huron Townships is characterized by active cropland and
widely scattered developed areas. Sumpter Township is the least developed
area in the Wayne County section of the project area (Enviro Control, Inc.
1976).
The southeastern part of the project area includes Brownstown Township
and the Cities of Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Rockwood, Trenton, and Woodhaven.
The areas in close proximity to the Huron River are urbanized. The remainder
of the area is under a variety of uses ranging from agriculture to industry.
3.2.3. Recreational Land
Recreational areas are a major land use in parts of the project area.
State Recreation Areas are located in the western parts of White Lake and
Commerce Townships. The Middle Rouge and cass Benton Parkways are in the
vicinity of Plymouth and Northville. Several metroparks are located in the
project area. The Lower Huron Metropark is located along the Huron River
east of Belleville. It encompasses 1,200 acres. Willow Metropark is ad-
jacent to the Lower Huron Metropark and includes 1,500 acres. The Oakwoods
Metropark is adjacent to Willow Metropark and includes 1,700 acres (Enviro
Control, Inc. 1976).
3.2.4. Housing
Information on occupied housing units between 1970 and 1975 is presented
in Table 9. The data include the number of persons per occupied dwelling unit
and the change in the number and percent of occupied dwelling units between
1970 and 1975. The Huron Valley project area had an increase of 51.1% in the
number of occupied dwelling units during the five-year period. This is much
higher than the increase that occurred in the SEMCOG Region (10.2%) , Oakland
County (19.3%), and Wayne County (3.1%). The number of occupied dwelling
units decreased in the City of Detroit by 3.1%, representing a loss of 18,521
occupied units.
The number of persons per occupied dwelling unit decreased in all of
the jurisdictions except Woodhaven (Table 9). During 1975, the number of
persons per occupied dwelling unit was highest in the Huron Valley project
area (3.22), compared to the SEMCOG Region (3.03), Oakland County (3.07),
Wayne County (2.94), and Detroit (2.78).
Within the Huron Valley project area, the greatest increases in occupied
dwelling units between 1970 and 1975 occurred in Canton Township (200.5%),
Brownstown Township (153.0%), Woodhaven (129.0%), and Novi (122.4%). The
least significant changes occurred in Plymouth (4.2%), Huron Township (9.1%),
Sumpter Township (13.2%), and Rockwood (16.4%).
56
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Table 9. Occupied dwelling units in the Huron Valley project area, Michigan
(SEMCOG 1976d). An asterisk [*] denotes a community not included
in the project area total.
Persons/Occupied
Dwelling Unit
Number of Occupied Dwelling Units
SEMCOG Region
Wayne County
Detroit
Oakland County
Project Area
Commerce Twp .
Wolverine Lake
Novi and Novi Twp.
Northville (part)
Walled Lake
White Lake Twp.
Brownstown Twp.
Flat Rock
Gibraltar
Rockwood
Canton Twp.
Huron Twp.
Northville Twp.
Northville (part)
Plymouth Twp.
Plymouth
Sumpter Twp.
Trenton
Van Buren Twp .
Belleville
Woodhaven
South Rockwood*
1970
3.33
3.22
3.04
3.42
3.71
3.79
3.73
3.68
4.18
3.53
3.56
3.45
3.63
3.47
3.64
3.38
3.83
5.40
2.80
3.56
3.13
3.72
3.69
3.67
2.90
3.40
3.82
1975
3.03
2.94
2.78
3.07
3.22
3.48
3.46
2.91
3.74
2.98
3.31
3.01
3.21
3.15
3.20
3.35
3.52
3.77
2.51
3.19
2.82
3.46
3.23
3.15
2.37
3.41
3.50
1 April 1970
1,424,237
831,609
498,621
265,741
49,972
3,839
1,155
2,676
566
1,065
4,025
2,055
1,554
1,106
885
3,261
2,099
1,762
1,082
4,909
3,762
2,173
6,530
3,590
830
1,048
387
1 July 1975
1,569,100
857,200
480,100
317,000
75,490
4,690
1,460
5,950
770
1,590
5,300
5,200
2,050
1,480
1,030
9,800
2,290
3,300
1,150
6,100
3,920
2,460
7,550
5,550
1,450
2,400
400
Number
144,863
25,591
-18,521
51,259
25,518
851
305
3,274
204
525
1,275
3,145
496
374
145
6,539
191
1,538
68
1,191
158
287
1,020
1,920
620
1,352
13
Percent
10.2
3.1
-3.7
19.3
51.1
22.2
26.4
122.4
36.1
49.3
31.7
153.0
31.9
33.8
16.4
200.5
9.1
87.3
6.3
24.3
4.2
13.2
15.6
54.6
74.7
129. Q
3.4
Housing values for Michigan and the US are presented in Table 10- In
1970, the eleven cities (only units for which data are available) had a "mean
median value" of $22,936, which was greater than that of the State and Nation.
Only two communities, Belleville and Walled Lake, had values less than the
State average.
Table 10- Median values for existing FHA-insured homes in
Michigan and the US during 1970 to 1973 and during
1975 (Verway and Grier 1977).
MICHIGAN
US
1970
19,514
17,764
1971
20,504
18,904
1972
19,898
19,331
1973
17,488
18,737
1975
20,231
26,051
19,527
20,157
57
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3.2.5. Transportation
The project area is served by four Interstate highways. Segments of
Interstates 96 and 275 recently have been completed and potentially may in-
duce new development in the Oakland County and western Wayne County sections
of the project area. Interstate 94 runs through Van Buren Township and con-
nects Detroit with Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and eventually Chicago. Interstate
75 transects the southeastern section of the project area and is the major
artery connecting Detroit with points south. In addition to the Interstate
highways, there are other major Federal and State highways that serve the
project area.
Public bus and rail service is extremely limited in the project area.
Bus service is provided by the Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority
(SEMTA) and service is not extensive. Commuter rail service is not available
at present although an Amtrak commuter train crosses the project area on its
Ann Arbor-Detroit routes.
Air service is available at the Willow Run Airport (Northwest of Belle-
ville) and the Detroit Metropolitan Airport (adjacent to the project area in
Romulus). The Detroit Metropolitan Airport provides international service
for the southeastern Michigan region.
3.3. Cultural, Historic, and Archaeological Resources
3.3.1. Prehistory of the Project Area
Although few archaeological surveys have been made in the project area,
the potential for sites is great (Figure 6) . The numerous glacial lakes in
Oakland County provided ideal sites for Indian life. According to local
archaeologists, the area along the Huron River downstream from New Boston
may be one of the most significant archaeological regions in southeastern
Michigan.
Artifacts dating from the period known as the Late Archaic have been
found in southeastern Michigan, including the Warner School site in Oakland
County (Fitting 1970). An archaeological survey for 1-275 by Commonwealth
Associates Inc. (1974) identified six sites which are in the Huron Valley
project area. One site (1-275-2) is in Van Buren Township, Section 13,
SE 1/4. Surficial material collected included historic ceramic and pre-
historic chippage, and argilite points. Site 1-275-7 is located in Van Buren
Township, Section 18, NW 1/4, SW 1/4. Cultural material from the site includes
ceramics, Atlantic Coast shells, bone fragments, and flint chippage. Another
site, 1-275-4, is located in Huron Township, Section 16, SW 1/4, SW 1/4.
Material from this site includes historic ceramics, bone, chippage, and stone
tools. The "old Indian Improvements" site is located in Huron Township, Sec-
tion 16. This site is taken from the Hubbard Map Series for Michigan which
indicated Indian improvements on the north side of the Huron River. The
Rennie Site is located in Huron Township, Section 27, NE 1/4, SW 1/4. This site
is located on the Wyandot Reservation site and contains extensive surface material.
The sixth site is located in Huron Township, Sections 22 and 27. The site
first was recorded in 1964. Artifacts included triangular points and other
Late Woodland material, fire-cracked rock and flakes, and surface-recovered
human bone.
58
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Figure 6. Documented and potentially significant > ^a^ologi. '< , cultural,
historical, and architectural sites. The general locations of
potential archaeological resources ar-.-; indicated with black dots.
Documented cultural, historic, and architectural sites are rijiri-
bered 1 through 5. Potential sites are numbered f> through 1 ''<.
59
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Four of the above sites are located in the Willow Metropark, through
which the proposed interceptor would be constructed. Preliminary surveys
have identified 21 sites in Willow Metropark and 8 sites in Oakwoods Metropark
(By letter, 28 February 1978, Mr. Thomas H. Smith, Huron-Clinton Metro-Authority)
A site in Gibraltar was discovered in the 1940s and produced artifacts
dated between 600 and 900 A.D. A similar find was made in 1944 at Springwell,
immediately north of the project area. Neither site has been preserved
(Fitting 1970).
The other locations shown on Figure 6 were provided by local residents
and historians. One site, the "wall", for which Walled Lake is named, has
caused substantial debate. Situated west of the lake, the wall extends for
some 1,600 feet, and is 4.0 feet high, 5 to 10 feet thick, with a top of earth
and soil. Local legend attributes the wall to Indian artisans. Other theories
suggest the wall is a glacial drift deposit or is the result of the displacement
of rocks from the lake by ice during winter.
3.3.2. History of the Project Area
The French were exploring the area around Sault Ste. Marie at the same
time pilgrims were arriving in Massachusetts. Circa 1620, Samuel de Champlain
was exploring Michigan (May 1967). Not until 1679, however, was a visit to
southeast Michigan by "white men" documented in writing. Father Hennepin, who
accompanied La Salle on his explorations, visited the region now occupied by
the Detroit metropolitan area. This combination missionary/explorer was
typical of French entrepreneurs in America who capitalized on the fur trade.
On 24 July 1701, a group of French and Indians led by Antoine de la Mothe
Cadillac founded Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit (shortened to Detroit in 1751).
The settlement was established as an outpost to demonstrate the power of the
French and as a center for French commerce in the Great Lakes region (Parkins
1918). Southeast Michigan remained unsettled during this time primarily
because the region was frequented by the hostile Iroquois tribe. This
alone served to discourage any settlement beyond the protection of Detroit.
The French and Indian War, the Indian Revolt of 1763, the Revolutionary
War, and the War of 1812 were important influences on the Detroit region, as
the area passed from Indian to French to British to American control (back
to the British briefly in 1813). Not until the 1820s did southeastern
Michigan begin to attract significant numbers of settlers. In the mid-1820s
the Erie Canal was completed. By the 1840s, most of the Indian tribes (Huron,
Ottawa, Miami, Chippewa, and Potawatomi) had left Michigan.
Initially, white settlements developed along the rivers of the area, in-
cluding the Huron, Rouge, and Raisin. This cheap source of power attracted
manufacturing to the area. By 1893, a manufacturing network had sprung up
along the rivers. Added to very favorable locations on both rail and water
routes were low taxes, inexpensive water and fuel, and vacant land (Secretary
of the State of Michigan 1893) . Henry Ford took advantage of this situation
in the 1920s and established industry in towns such as Northville and Plymouth.
60
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Due to the growth of the Detroit metropolitan area, few vestiges of early
settlement in Rockwood, Flat Rock, and New Boston remain. Plymouth, Northville,
and to a lesser extent Walled Lake, however, contain extensive areas which
convey distinct historical perspectives. Current Michigan law (Public Act
No. 169) permits localities to declare historic districts within their bound-
aries. To date only Northville has taken advantage of this. Novi and Commerce
are rapidly losing their few remaining connections with early settlement pat-
terns, as suburban development encroaches on the lakes region. In the rural
sections of the project area there remain a relatively large number of origi-
nal farmsteads, some qualifying as Michigan Centennial Homes. The rural areas
around Northville, Plymouth, and Novi contain excellent examples of early
settlement types, as does the area north of New Boston along Hannan Road.
3.3.3. Cultural, Historical, and Architectural Sites in the Project Area
Two sites located in the project area are listed in the National Register
of Historic Places. These sites, both in Northville, are the Robert Yerkes
House and the Northville Historic District. Figure 6 shows these sites and
others described in the following paragraphs.
The Robert Yerkes House (Site #1), located at 535 E. Base Line Road in
Northville, Oakland County, has been chosen for inclusion in the National
Register because of its architectural significance. This building, con-
structed in 1869, is a Gothic cottage with highly ornamental gables in the
facade. Site #2 is the Northville Historic District. It is a 20 block area
encompassing the original 1840 town plat in Wayne County. According to the
Northville Historical Society, there are 73 buildings in the District which
possess architectural and historical significance of at leant a local level.
Although the majority of the buildings are frame gothic cottages constructed
between I860 and 1870, there are some Greek revival buildings of the 1830s
still standing and also examples of Queen Anne, Italianate, and early 1900s
bungalows. When the Michigan History Division, Michigan Department of State,
recommended that the Northville Historic District bo included in the National
Register of Historic Places, it noted the "quiet, nineteenth century aura" which
still pervades the District.
Three sites in the project area are listed in the Michigan History Divi-
sion's State Register of Historic Sites. They include the two National Register
sites and the Byers Farm.
The Byers Farm (Site #3) is situated on the east side of the Huron River
near the intersection of Commerce and S. Commerce roads (213 Commerce). The
homestead is reputed to be the site of the first "white" settler in Commerce
Township, Abram Walrod. The present frame house was erected circa 1850. Most
of the original mid-nineteenth century buildings still stand. The farm now
functions as an antique store.
61
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According to the Monroe County Historical Commission, there are two sites
situated along the Lower Huron River that possess cultural, historical, or
architectural significance. These sites are the United Methodist Church in
South Rockwood Village and a residence on South Huron River Road, Rockwood.
Site #4 is the United Methodist Church located at 6311 South Huron River
Drive. It was built shortly after 1884. The land and most of the money to
build the church were donated by John Strong. John Strong founded South Rock-
wood in the 1860s. Architecturally, the Monroe County Historical Commission
considers this church one of the finer structures of its type in the area.
Sites #5 is a residence located at 5617 South Huron River Drive. It cur-
rently is owned by the Wesburn Golf and Country Club. The building formerly
was associated with the Walthers family, and its date of construction may be
in the late 1820s. This would make it one of the oldest structures in the
State. The Monroe County Historical Commission considers this architecturally
significant.
In addition to the above culturally, historically, or architecturally
significant sites, there are two sites in the project area noted by the His-
toric American Engineering Record as possessing significance. These are the
Detroit, Toledo, and Ironton Railroad Flat Rock Bridge-Dam structure on the
Huron River and the former Alter Motor Car Company in Plymouth.
Throughout the project corridor small community or family cemeteries are
found. Many possess local historical significance as they are permanent re-
cords of the earliest settlers, including Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and
Civil War veterans. Cemeteries usually are not considered for National Regis-
ter eligibility. Their significance would lie in their relationship to remaining
pioneer sites and/or historic districts.
A windshield survey of the project area (WAPORA 1978) identified eleven
potential sites of cultural, historical, or architectural significance in ad-
dition to the five sites listed above. Located on Bogie Lake Road just north
of Commerce is the Commerce Methodist Church (Site #6), founded in 1841.
Several hundred feet southeast of the Methodist Church is a large, rambling
frame house (Site #7), located at 722 Farr Street. Site #8, a residence, is
located at 43707 XSrand River Road in Novi and i.° one of a few remaining archi-
tecturally significant structures in the area. A house on Grand River Road
east of Novi Road (Site #9) is indicative of the Stick style of architecture.
The owner of the building estimated its construction at circa 1880. Site #10
is located on the northeast corner of 9-Mile Road and Novi Road north of North-
ville. The site is the original farm of Charles Thornton, one of the early
settlers in the area. Only limited local significance may be ascribed to this
site owing to extensive site alterations.
62
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Site #11 is situated within the limits of the Northville Historic District,
but is a separate entity. Mill Race Historical Village is a result of efforts
by the Northville Historical Society to retain examples of bygone eras which
were in danger of being destroyed. As a result, the Historical Village is a
collection of buildings moved to the approximately 10-acre site west of Griswold,
south of the millpond dam, and running adjacent to the millrace. At present
there are five significant structures in the village, with space reserved for
three or four more. The extant structures are:
1) Wash Oak School - Built in 1873.
2) Old Library Building - Built in 1845.
3) Hunter House - Built in 1851.
4) Yerkes House - Built circa 1858.
5) Cottage Victorian House - Built circa 1890.
The site of the village was the original location of the first grist mill
in Northville. Today, the water wheel is used rarely by the Northville Valve
Plant (Ford's original industry in Northville) adjacent to the site.
The Middle River Rouge from Northville to Plymouth was used to power
several mills in the 1800s. They were: Mead's Mill, Phoenix Mill, Gunsolly
Mill, and Northville and Plymouth Mills. Only the sites remain today.
Site #12 is an Italianate-style residence located on 8-Mile Road, 0.25
mile east of Northville. Sites #13 and #14 are located within Plymouth. Site
#13 is Old Village in Plymouth, an area bounded roughly by Wilcox Road on the
north, the River Rouge on the east, Plymouth Road on the south, and York Street
on the west. This area appears to include several sites of cultural, histori-
cal, or architectural significance and may qualify as a historic district.
There are two other areas in Plymouth, however, which also contain a large
number of potentially significant sites: Renniman Avenue and central Plymouth.
Site #14 is a Greek Revival structure situated at the corner of Wilcox and
Hardenberg Streets. Referred to as the Guenther or Wilcox House, it was
associated with the mill on the River Rouge. This site possesses limited
local significance but would compliment a historic district as one of the
few remaining Greek Revival structures in Plymouth.
Site #15 is an unusual structure at 17620 Hannan Road in rural New Boston.
No information was available on the origin of this structure. However, despite
its obscure historical connections, the house is architecturally significant
at the local and possibly regional level due to the lack of similar structures
in the area. Site #16, a frame house, is located at 28911 Seneca in Flat Rock.
63
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3.4. Wastewater Collection and Treatment Systems
Most of the more populated parts of the project area are sewered and be-
long to an established sewage collection district (Figure 7) . This is espe-
cially true of the southern section of the project area. Exceptions are Sumpter
Township in Wayne County, and White Lake and Commerce Townships in Oakland
County which are entirely unsewered. Individual on-lot septic systems are
being utilized for sewage disposal in these and other unsewered sections of
the project area. The following subsections describe the existing wastewater
control systems, beginning with the northern section of the project area.
3.4.1. Walled Lake-Novi Wastewater Control System
This system consists of sanitary collector sewers and a tertiary WWTP
which serves all of the City of Walled Lake and the northeastern section of
the City of Novi in Oakland County. Service area population was estimated
to be 9,000 in 1977.
The system was constructed by the Oakland County Department of Public
Works during 1970 and 1971, replacing the use of individual septic tank,
tile-field disposal systems. The system is designed to provide service
to all existing buildings and vacant platted lots in the established
service area.
The Walled Lake WWTP is located in Novi immediately southwest of Walled
Lake. The plant is designed to treat a flow of 1.5 mgd from a tributary pop-
ulation of 14,000. Flow to the WWTP during 1977, however, was considerably
less than design capacity, averaging 1.0 mgd. System infiltration is less
than 0.13 mgd. Wet weather has no significant effect on the system (Oakland
County DPW 1975). Provision was made in the design and construction for fu-
ture expansion to 2.1 MGD for a population of 21,000.
The WWTP is operated by the Oakland County DPW. The plant is in good
physical and operational condition. The facility utilizes an activated sludge
process followed by multimedia tertiary filters. Alum is added prior to aera-
tion for phosphorus removal. Influent wastewater characteristics are: 250
mg/1 BOD5; 250 mg/1 SS; 8.0 mg/1 total P; and pH 7.0 (Hubbell, Roth & Clark,
Inc. 1976). Sludge is processed by aerobic digestion and dewatered on sludge
drying beds. Characteristics of the sludge are listed in Table 11. Annual
sludge production is estimated to average 210 tons on a dry weight basis. Flow
equalization is utilized to load the tertiary filters at a constant rate. Final
effluent is chlorinated to provide disinfection and odor control. The land area
of the plant is approximately 11 acres.
The effluent discharged from the treatment plant to Fenley Drain, tribu-
tary to the Walled Lake Branch of the Middle River Rouge, is regulated by NPDES
Permit No. MI 0024287 issued by the Michigan Water Resources Commission (MWRC).
64
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Segment of Middle
Rouge Interceptor
OAKLAND CO.
IVINGSTON CO
DETROIT
Segment of Lower
. Rouge Interceptor
Segment of
Downriver
Interceptor
MONROE CO.
- Walled Lake - Novi Service Area
- Rouge Valley Sewage Disposal District
- Downriver Sewage Disposal District
- Flat Rock - Huron Township Service Area
- Rockwood Service Area
- Central Brownstown-Woodhaven-Gibraltar Service Area
- City of Trenton Service Area
- Southern Brownstown Service Area
Figure 7.
Sewer service areas in the Huron tfaliey project area. Areas currently
served by sewers are shaded (Giffeis/Black & Veatch 1977a; SEMCOG l'576e;
W?A'ne County DPW 1977b) .
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Effluent limitations established in the permit for 1 May through 31 October
are (NA means not applicable):
DISCHARGE LOAD LIMITATIONS DISCHARGE CONCENTRATION
EFFLUENT kg/day (Ib/day) LIMITATIONS (mg/1)
CHARACTERISTIC 30 Day Avg. Daily Max. 30 Day Avg. Daily Max.
BOD5 NA 53(117) NA 10
NH3-N NA 11(23) NA 2.0
DO NA NA NA 5.0
7 Day Avg. 7 Day Avg.
SS 53(117) 79(175) 10 15
Fecal Coliform NA NA 200/100 ml 400/100 ml
In addition, the plant is to achieve at least an 80% reduction of the influent
phosphorus load, with an optimal operational goal to attain an effluent concen-
tration not to exceed 1 mg/1 total P. The pH of the discharge is to be within
a range of 6.5 to 9.0.
From 1 November through 30 April, the permitted effluent limitations are
somewhat less stringent. The daily maximum BOD^ loading limit is increased
to 79 kg/day (175 Ib/day), with a daily maximum concentration limit of 15 mg/1.
The ammonia nitrogen limitation is suspended during this period.
Actual average effluent concentration quality for the first nine months
of 1977, as reported in the plant's monthly operating reports, was: 6.5 mg/1
BOD5; 1.4 mg/1 NH3~N (5 month average); 6.6 mg/1 DO; 4.1 mg/1 SS; 1.0 mg/1
total P; 41/100 ml fecal coliform; and a pH range from 6.8 to 8. This is
equivalent to an average daily load of approximately 55 pounds of BOD^, 35
pounds of SS, 12 pounds of NH3~N, and more than 8 pounds of total P. Both
the concentrations and loading values are well within the permit limitations.
3.4.2. Rouge Valley Sewage Disposal District
Communities within the north-central part of the project area with local
sewer systems are served by the Rouge Valley Sewage Disposal District (RVSDD,
Figure 7). The estimated population and land area served by these systems
is shown in Table 12. Because the land area figures are more recent than the
service area population estimates, larger areas may be reflected than actually
were served during 1974. All sewer systems are designed for sanitary flows
(separated sewers), with the exceptions of small areas in southeastern Plymouth
Township which utilize combined sewers. The total area of 61,250 acres in these
communities had an estimated total 1974 population of 85,070. Forty-six per-
cent (23,310 acres) of the land area with an estimated total 1974 population
of 15,770 (18.5%), remains unsewered. Residents within unsewered areas rely
on private on-site septic disposal systems.
67
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The RVSDD is managed by the Wayne County DPW. Each of the member local
sewer systems has contracted for capacity in the interceptors which convey
wastewater from the communities' collection system to the Detroit WWTP (Table
12). The flows to the Detroit system from the entire RVSDD represent the lar-
gest contribution from any of the eleven Detroit and suburban districts served
(Giffels/Black & Veatch 1977C).
The RVSDD is divided into two major subdistricts, the Middle Rouge Sub-
district and the Lower Rouge Subdistrict. The southeastern part of Novi,
Northville, Northville Township, Plymouth, Plymouth Township, and Canton
Township are in the Middle Rouge Subdistrict, while the rest of Canton Town-
ship and the northern part of Van Buren Township are in the Lower Rouge Sub-
district. Interceptor sewers conveying wastewater from each of these subdistricts
to the east parallel the Middle and Lower Rivers Rouge, respectively (Figure 7).
The Middle Rouge and Lower Rouge interceptors join to form the Rouge Valley In-
terceptor at the confluence of the Lower River Rouge and River Rouge. The Rouge
Valley Interceptor connects to the Detroit system.
The maximum sewage flow being generated by each community during 1977 as
estimated by the Wayne County DPW, in the absence of metered flow data, is
presented in Table 13. Average contributions of domestic and industrial sani-
tary flow are in Table 14. These average values were based on three months of
flow measurement in 1973. The table, therefore, only reveals the relative con-
tribution by each source with much accuracy. More recent data is not avaiable
from the Wayne County DPW.
Wayne County has a contract with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department
to accept a total flow from the Rouge Valley system of 324.5 cubic feet per se-
cond (approximately 210 mgd). Based on the estimated dry weather flows for the
entire District, the Wayne County DPW determined that the system as a whole is
at 77.2% of its design capacity. Some communities (primarily in the western
section of the District) are exceeding their purchased capacity (Table 13),
while others are utilizing less than their allocation. Infiltration inflow
throughout the system, and combined sewer flow in the eastern parts of the
District cause the Rouge Valley Interceptor to be overloaded during extended
wet weather periods. This results in overflows of untreated wastewater into
the Middle and Lower Rivers Rouge, and the River Rouge to the east of the
project area.
Facility planning to determine the most cost-effective approach to
solving the combined sewer overflow problem in the RVSDD had not been ini-
tiated as of 1 August 1978. No reliable information, therefore, is avail-
able on which to base assumptions about the availability of future capacity
in the Middle and Lower Rouge Interceptors. The purchased capacity values
shown in the first column of Table 13 are not equivalent to the actual phy-
sical capacity of the interceptor (Section 5.0).
3.4.3. Downriver Sewage Disposal District
The sewered area in central and southern Van Buren Township and the City
of Belleville (Figure 7) is served by the Downriver Sanitary District. The
estimated 1974 service area population in this sewered section of the Town-
ship is 6,200. Belleville is entirely sewered; therefore, its total estimated
1974 population of 3,480 is the service area population.
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Table 13. Estimated utilization of Rouge Valley Interceptor capacity by
communities in the project area (Wayne County DPW 1977a).
Novi
Purchased
Capacity
(cfs)
4.00
Maximum
Sewage
Flow1
(cfs)
3.08
Combined
Sewage
Flow
(cfs)
fc Purchased
Flow Used
(Maximum +
Combined)
77.0
Comment
Below
Capacity
Northville
3.60-
4.47
124.2
Exceeding
Capacity
Northville Twp.
8.01'
7.37
92.0
At Capacity
Plymouth
4.80
7.15
149.0
Exceeding
Capacity
Plymouth Twp.
9.60
14.26
0.07
149.3
Exceeding
Capacity
Canton Twp.
14.37J 13.31
92.6
At Capacity
Van Buren Twp.
3.20
TOTAL 47.58
0.57
50.21
0.07
17.!
Significantly
Below Capacity
System flows are not metered; average flows have been estimated by the
Wayne County DPW based on water consumption records; peak flows were
then estimated based on methodology in Water Pollution Control Federation (1970)
"Novi utilizes flow-equalization basins to reduce peak flows.
Northville is presently leasing an additional 4.0 cfs in the Middle
Rouge Interceptor from Livonia.
4
Institutions within Northville Township own 5.41 cfs of the 8.01 cfs.
7.47 cfs of the capacity is in the Middle Rouge Interceptor and 6.9 cfn
in the Lower Rouge Interceptor.
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Table 14. Average domestic and industrial flow contribution in
1973 from project area communities, excluding the
Walled Lake-Novi system (Wayne County Board of Road
Commissioners 1976).
Novi
Northville
Northville Twp.
Plymouth
Plymouth Twp.
Canton Twp.
Van Bur en Twp.
Belleville
Huron Twp.
Flat Rock
Rockwood
S . Rockwood
Gibraltar
Brownstown Twp.
(Central)
Trenton
Woodhaven
Brownstown Twp.
(South)
Domestic
Wastewater
(mgd)
0.597
0.447
0.285
0.496
0.877
1.300
0.364
0.288
0.181
0.285
0.175
0.047
0.230
0.307
1.762
0.526
0.090
Industrial
Wastewater
(mgd)
0.140
0.252
0.948
0.630
1.490
0.027
0.296
0.038
0.011
1.000
0.033
0.022
0.142
0.057
2.244
0.115
0.003
Total
Flow
(mgd)
0.737
0.699
1.233
1.126
2.367
1.327
0.660
0.326
0.192
1.285
0.208
0.069
0.372
0.364
4.006
0.641
0.093
Breakdown of relative contributions of flow to the RVSDD
and to the Downriver System are not available.
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The western end of the Wayne County-Downriver Interceptor enters Van
Buren Township at the Wabash and Hannan Road intersection. It follows East
Huron River Drive and the Norfolk and Western railroad tracks southwest to
near downtown Belleville. All sanitary sewers south of Belleville Lake dis-
charge to this interceptor. A local trunk sewer also conveys flows from
north of Belleville Lake to the Wayne County-Downriver Interceptor. This
interceptor conveys the flows from east along Eureka Road through Romulus,
Taylor, and Southgate to the Wayne County Wyandotte WWTP.
The City of Belleville and Van Buren Township have contract capacities
of 2.8 cfs and 5.2 cfs, respectively, in the Downriver Interceptor. Peak
flows generated in the Belleville service area averaged 2.03 cfs or 72.5% of
contracted capacity while flow from the township service area averaged 3.87
cfs, or 73% of contract capacity. Average domestic and industrial flows for
Belleville and Van Buren Township (includes northern section which is in the
RVSDD) are shown in Table 14 (1973 estimates).
3.4.4. Flat Rock Wastewater Control System
The entire City of Flat Rock and sections of Huron Township are served
by sanitary sewers. Sewered areas within Huron Township include the New
Boston area; an area in the southwestern section of the Township near Inter-
state 275; and the east-central part of the Township (Figure 7). The esti-
mated total 1974 population of 5,850 in Flat Rock and an estimated 2,023 (25%
of the total 1974 estimated population of 8,050 in Huron Township) result in
a total 1974 service-area population of nearly 7,900.
Interceptors from New Boston and the southwestern section of the Township
intersect near the Huron River in the Willow Metropark. One main interceptor
conveys flows from these areas plus flows from the east-central service area
to the Flat Rock WWTP.
The Flat Rock WWTP, located near the southeast boundary of Flat Rock,
became operational in 1939 and was expanded in 1964. Secondary treatment
and phosphorus control were added during 1970. Present plant design is for
treatment of 1.0 mgd of sanitary sewage generated in the Flat Rock-Huron
Township sewer service area. Flows generated during 1977 averaged 2.7 mgd.
This severe overloading has resulted in the bypass of raw wastewater to the
Huron River.
The plant is operated by the Wayne County DPW. The age of the plant and
its overloaded capacity contribute to operational problems. The concrete in
the primary treatment tanks is deteriorating and mechanical equipment is old
and corroded. The exterior walls of the trickling filter (which provides the
secondary treatment) are cracking and deteriorating. A portable effluent
pump has been installed to bypass sewage flows in excess of operational capa-
city. Influent wastewater characteristics are: 150 mg/1 6005; 220 mg/1 SS;
total phosphorus of 6 mg/1; and a pH of 6.9 (Hubbell, Roth, & Clark, Inc.
1976). The WWTP occupies 0.48 acres, and there is no undeveloped land ad-
jacent to the plant site for expansion.
Sludge generated in the treatment process is trucked to the Wyandotte WWTP
for incineration. The composition of this sludge is presented in Table 11.
Average annual sludge production is estimated to be 270 tons on a dry weight basis.
72
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The discharge from the WWTP to the Huron River is regulated by the
Michigan WRC through NPDES Permit No. MI 0024323. The effluent limitations
imposed by the permit are:
Effluent Characteristic
BOD5
SS
Fecal Coliform
Discharge Concentration
(mg/1)
30 Day Avg. 7 Day Avg.
15
20
200/100 ml
25
30
400/100 ml
(No load limitations have been established at this time.) In addition, the
plant is to achieve at least an 80% reduction of the influent total P load,
with an optimal operational goal to attain an effluent concentration not to
exceed 1.0 mg/1 P. The pH of the discharge is to be within a range of 6.5
to 9.0.
During the first ten months of 1977 the average effluent concentrations
reported in the plant's monthly operational report were 47 mg/1 BOD^, 44 mg/1 SS,
79/100 ml fecal coliform, and 1.6 mg/1 total P. This indicates the plant is in
violation of its permit limitations. Effluent monitoring data, however, do not
reflect bypassed sewage; therefore, the report data do not reveal final effluent
conditions. It is estimated that the total daily loads of primary pollutants
from this plant are: 2,500 pounds 6005, 3,500 pounds SS, and 100 pounds total
phosphorus.
A sewer connection ban was ordered by the Michigan WRC in December 1977
in an attempt to preclude additional inputs to the overloaded system. This
ban subsequently was rescinded. The City of Flat Rock, however, has enforced
its own ban on new hook-ups because of a surcharging problem which has caused
basement flooding in the City.
3.4.5. Rockwood Wastewater Control System
Rockwood has a local sanitary sewer system which serves an estimated
population of 3,011 (93% of a total estimated population of 3,250 in the city
in 1974). South Rockwood, across the Huron River from Rockwood, is sewered,
with an estimated 1974 service area population of 1,410 (100% of the popula-
tion of the City). Flows from South Rockwood enter the Rockwood system and
the resultant total flow is conveyed to the Rockwood WWTP.
The Rockwood WWTP is located adjacent to the Huron River immediately
southeast of Rockwood. The plant was built in 1939 as a primary treatment
facility, and was expanded in 1963 and again in 1971 when secondary treat-
ment and phosphorus removal capabilities were added. The service area pop-
pulation of about 4,500 in Rockwood and South Rockwood presently contributes
about 0.37 mgd to the plant, which has a design capacity of 1.0 mgd. Average
influent wastewater characteristics are: 150 mg/1 BOD5; 180 mg/1 SS; 35 mg/1
total P; and a pH of 6.9 (Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. 1976).
73
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The treatment, plant is operated by the Wayne County DPW. The newer se-
condary treatment facilities, consisting of plastic media filters, secondary
clarifiers, and chemical feeding equipment are in good condition. Chlorination
is provided for disinfection of the effluent.
Sludge generated by the treatment process is estimated to average 230 tons
per year on a dry weight basis. Chemical characteristics of the sludge are
shown in Table 11. The sludge is trucked to the Wayne County-Wyandotte WWTP
for incineration.
The plant site covers 1.0 acre. There is little land available adjacent
to the site for expansion. Land to the' north is low and floods occasionally;
a railroad right-of-way borders the property on the east; and the Huron River
borders the remainder of the site.
The discharge from the WWTP to the Huron River is regulated by NPDES
Permit No. MI 0021181, issued by the Michigan WRC. The effluent limitations
imposed by the permit are:
DISCHARGE LOAD LIMITATIONS DISCHARGE CONCENTRATION
EFFLUENT kg/day (Ib/day) LIMITATIONS (mg/1)
CHARACTERISTIC 30 Day Avg. 7 Day Avg. 30 Day Avg. 7 Day Avg.
BOD5 57(125) 85(187) 20 30
SS 57(125) 85(187) 20 30
Fecal Coliform NA NA 200/100 ml 400/100 ml
In addition, the plant is to achieve an 80% reduction of the influent phos-
phorus load, with an optimum operational goal to attain an effluent concentration
not to exceed 1 mg/1. The pH of the discharge also must be between 6.5 and 9.0.
The monthly operational reports from the plant for the first ten months of
1977 show the actual discharge to have an average concentration of 28 mg/1 6005;
38 mg/1 SS; and 60/100 ml fecal coliform; 10.6 mg/1 total phosphorus, or 53%
removal; and a pH range of 5.4 to 7.5. The equivalent average daily loadings to
the Huron River are: 90 pounds 6005; 120 pounds SS; and 35 pounds total P. The
average discharge is thus in violation of the permit conditions.
3.4.6. Wayne County-Trenton (W.C.-Trenton) Wastewater Control System
This system consists of local collection sewers in central Brownstown
Township, Woodhaven, and Gibraltar which are connected to the W.C.-Trenton
WWTP on Jefferson Avenue in Trenton by interceptor sewers. The estimated
1974 service area populations for these communities are: central Brownstown,
5,520; Woodhaven, 6,250; Gibraltar, 4,200; a total of approximately 16,000.
A 42-inch diameter trunk sewer along Van Horn Road conveys sanitary sewage
flows from west-central Brownstown Township and Woodhaven eastward to the
WWTP. Flows from the Brownstown Township area south of Woodhaven are con-
veyed via a trunk sewer along Allen Road to the Van Horn Interceptor. Sani-
tary sewage flows from Gibraltar are conveyed north along River Road to the
WWTP.
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The W.C.-Trenton WWTP began operation in 1939. It presently provides
primary treatment for sewage flows generated in the Central Brownstown-Woodhaven-
Gibraltar sewer service area. Design flow for the plant is 2.4 mgd, and the 1977
average flow was 2.1 mgd. Because of the high infiltration/inflow (I/I) exper-
ienced in the collection system, the plant has received peak wet weather flows
which greatly exceed the design capacity. Under such conditions, the plant
frequently becomes flooded and sewage flows receive little treatment before
discharge to the Detroit River.
The plant is operated by the Wayne County DPW. Although the facilities
receive good maintenance, their age causes significant operational problems.
Influent wastewater concentrations during dry weather flows average 150 mg/1
BODs; 180 mg/1 SS; 6.2 mg/1 total P; and pH of 6.8 (Hubbell, Roth & Clark,
Inc. 1976). The treatment process generates an estimated average of 440 tons
of sludge per year (Table 11). The plant occupies 4.1 acres.
Discharge from the WWTP is to the Elizabeth Park Canal, tributary to the
Trenton Channel of the Detroit River. This discharge is regulated by NPDES
Permit No. MI 0024317. Effluent limitations required by the permit are:
EFFLUENT
CHARACTERISTIC
BOD5
SS
Fecal Coliform
Oil and Grease
DISCHARGE LOAD LIMITATIONS
kg/day (Ib/day)
30 Day Avg.
398(876)
398(876)
NA
NA
7 Day Avg .
597(1,314)
597(1,314)
NA
NA
DISCHARGE CONCENTRATION
LIMITATIONS (mg/1)
30 Day Avg. 7 Day Avg.
30
40
200/100 ml
NA
45
45
400/100 ml
Daily Max. 10
In addition, the plant must achieve an 80% reduction of the influent phosphorus
load, with a goal of obtaining a 1.0 mg/1 total P effluent concentration through
optimal plant operation. The pH of the discharge must be within the range of
6.5 to 9.0.
Discharge monitoring data from plant operational reports for the first six
months of 1977 indicated actual average effluent concentrations of 62 mg/1 BOD5,
55 mg/1 SS, 94/100 ml fecal coliform, and 4.3 mg/1 phosphorus or 31% removal.
The equivalent average daily loadings are estimated to be: 1,090 pounds 6005;
965 pounds SS; and 75 pounds total P. These values indicate the plant was not
meeting the discharge standards.
3.4.7. Trenton Wastewater Control System
Originally, Trenton conveyed its combined wastewater to the W.C.-Trenton
WWTP. In 1962, however, the city built its own treatment plant and began a
program of removing storm water from its collection system. In 1969, the
remaining combined sewers in the older section of Trenton were separated;
however, during heavy rains, some stormwater problems continued to occur. A
new pumping station was installed in 1970 along with a 12.5 million gallon
retention basin to store excess storm water in the system for later treatment.
The service area population is approximately 25,500.
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The Trenton WWTP is located in southeastern Trenton near the Detroit River.
The plant was upgraded in 1970 to provide secondary treatment with phosphorus
removal. The present design capacity is 5.5 mgd, and the average flow in 1977
was 5.6 mgd—slightly in excess of design capacity.
The plant is operated by the City of Trenton. The older part of the
plant is beginning to show signs of aging, especially the mechanical equip-
ment. Influent wastewater characteristics are: 230 mg/1 8005; 220 mg/1 SS;
6.9 mg/1 total P; and a pH of 7.2 (Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. 1976). There
is a large amount of industrial flow (Table 14) to the plant which contributes
variable strength slugs of poor quality wastewater. Wastewater treatment in-
cludes grit removal, primary treatment in settling basins, an activated sludge
secondary treatment process, and chlorination for disinfection. Pickle liquor
is added to the aerated grit chamber to precipitate phosphorus in the primary
as well as final clarifiers. Tube settlers have been installed to assist in
the final settling of lighter floe. However, the inadequate capacity of the
primary treatment system allows high levels of suspended solids to pass
through into the secondary system. This causes blockage of the tube set-
tlers. Two additional primary tanks are needed to eliminate this problem.
Sludge generated in the treatment process is subjected to gravity
thickening and vacuum filtration prior to incineration on site. Sludge
characteristics are shown in Table 11. Net sludge production is estimated
to average about 2,000 tons per year. A backup sludge incineration unit
is needed to provide relief and backup for the existing system.
Land area of the treatment plant site is nearly 10 acres, including
about 4 acres leased from Detroit Edison for the retention basin. Only
limited room exists for expansion, as the site is completely surrounded
by streets, railroad tracks, power lines, and the retention basin.
The plant discharges effluent to the Elizabeth Park Canal, tributary
to the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River. This discharge is regulated
by NPDES Permit No. MI 0021164 issued by the Michigan WRC. The applicable
effluent limitations are:
DISCHARGE LOAD LIMITATIONS DISCHARGE CONCENTRATION
EFFLUENT kg/day (Ib/day) LIMITATIONS (mg/1)
CHARACTERISTIC 30 Day Avg. 7 Day Avg. 30 Day Avg. 7 Day Avg.
BOD5 853(1,876) 1,280(2,814) 30 45
SS 853(1,876) 1,280(2,814) 30 45
Fecal Coliform NA NA 200/100 ml 400/100 ml
Daily Max. Daily Max.
Oil & Grease NA NA 15 NA
Phenol 2.3(5.0) NA NA NA
In addition, the plant is to attain at least an 80% reduction in the amount
of influent phosphorus and, insofar as optimum operations of the facilities
will attain such a level, shall contain not more than 1 mg/1 of total phos-
phorus. The pH of the discharge also must be within a range of 6.5 to 9.0.
76
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The actual effluent characteristics during the first nine months of 1977
as reported in the plant's monthly reports were: 11.7 mg/1 6005; 20.8 mg/1
SS; 135/100 ml fecal coliform; 2.12 mg/1 total P or 81% removal; and a pH
range of 6.6 to 8.4. The estimated equivalent average daily loadings to the
receiving water are 550 pounds 6005; 975 pounds SS; and 100 pounds total P.
Thus, the average treatment conditions provide an effluent quality which
exceeds the level of treatment required by the permit.
3.4.8. Southern Brownstown Township Wastewater Control System
The south part of Brownstown Township (sections 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, and
24) is predominantly sewered, serving an estimated 1,800 of its nearly 2,800
residents. An interceptor sewer parallels Jefferson Avenue in Section 13.
Brownstown Township entered into an agreement in 1966 with the Wayne
County Road Commission to construct the existing wastewater stabilization
lagoons for treatment of sanitary sewage flows generated in the southern
Brownstown area. The lagoons consist of two ponds totaling about 18 to 20
acres. The ponds are situated on a 54-acre site owned by the Township.
Average daily flow to the lagoons is estimated to be 0.18 million gallons.
The lagoons are operated by the Brownstown Township Water and Sanitation
Department. Discharge from the lagoons to Morrison Drain (tributary to Silver
Creek and the Huron River) is intermittent and is regulated by NPDES Permit
No. MI 0022471. Effluent limitations imposed by the permit for the period
1 May through 31 October are:
EFFLUENT CHARACTERISTIC DISCHARGE CONCENTRATION LIMITATIONS (mg/1)
30 Day Avg. Daily Max.
BOD5 NA 10
NH3-N NA 2.0
DO NA 5.0
7 Day Avg.
SS 10 15
Fecal Coliform 200/100 ml 400/100 ml
(Load limitations have not been established.) Additionally, the permit requires
that at least an 80% reduction of influent phosphorus must be achieved, with a
goal of attaining 1.0 mg/1 where operationally possible. The pH of the discharge
must be in the range of 6.5 to 9.0.
During the 1 November to 30 April period, somewhat less stringent limita-
tions are required: the 8005 and SS daily maximum concentrations are increased
to 15 mg/1 and 22 mg/1, respectively; the NH3-N limitation is suspended; and
a DO minimum concentration limitation of 5.0 mg/1 is imposed.
Discharge quality as reported on monthly monitoring forms for April, May,
and October 1977 (the only 3 months of 1977 for which discharges were reported),
averaged 12.9 mg/1 6005; 26.1 mg/1 SS; 27/100 ml fecal coliform; and a pH of
8.1. Total reported effluent flow during these three months averaged 0.7 mgd
77
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for the days in which discharges were reported (only about one-half of the days
of each of these months). Ammonia and phosphorus levels were not monitored.
The levels of BOD and SS discharged during April and May 1977 were subject to
interim effluent limitations (effective until 30 June 1977) requiring a 30 mg/1
30-day average concentration, which was met. The lagoons are hydraulically
overloaded, causing short retention time. The potential exists for the treat-
ment system to violate its effluent limitations.
3.4.9. Individual Disposal Systems
There is widespread dependence on individual, on-lot septic disposal
systems in much of the project area from Sumpter Township north to White Lake
Township. Of primary concern are the more densely developed areas of White
Lake, Commerce, and Sumpter Townships, which are entirely unsewered, and the
unsewered portions of Novi and Northville Township.
The installation of septic tank disposal systems in White Lake and Commerce
Townships, and in Novi is regulated by the Oakland County Department of Health
pursuant to the Oakland County Sanitary Code. Many of the septic systems in
this area, however, were developed prior to the adoption of the Code and do
not presently incorporate provisions designed to ensure proper operation and
to protect groundwaters. In White Lake Township, much of the early lakeside
development was for cottage-type occupancy on small-sized lots. Many now are
occupied on a full-time basis, causing the original on-site sewage disposal
systems to become overloaded or to fail (By letter, Mr. R. A. Long, Oakland
County Division of Public Health, 14 November 1977). Additionally, many of
the on-site septic systems were located in close proximity to lakes, in areas
of high groundwater levels, or in areas with organic, dense clay, or sandy
soils. Such soils frequently are not suitable to absorb contaminants in
septic tank effluent or will not allow for acceptable rates of infiltration
and percolation. Of the 292 applications for new septic system permits in
White Lake Township during 1977, 29 (10%) were denied because of unsuitable
soil conditions (By letter, Mr. R. A. Long, Oakland County Division of Public
Health, 24 January 1978).
Locations within the Township of specific concern are the areas sur-
rounding White Lake, Pontiac Lake, Lake Neva, the Lakewood Village
Subdivision, and the area in the southeastern section of the Township
where many densely populated lakeside developments exist (By letter,
Mr. R. A. Long Oakland Division of Public Health, 14 November 1977).
Conditions are much the same in Commerce Township and Novi where septic
systems are being utilized although problem areas are not as well documented.
The highly developed Union Lake Road area in Commerce Township has been noted
as being a problem area (By telephone, Mr. William Carlson, Oakland County
Division of Public Health, 14 November 1977). No detailed groundwater quality
studies or septic system monitoring data exist to document the extent of the
problem.
The Wayne County Department of Health, which administers a septic system
permit program, conducted field investigations in Sumpter Township during 1973
and documented groundwater contamination problems resulting from the use of
septic disposal systems (Wayne County Department of Health 1974). Many pri-
vate drinking water supplies from shallow wells throughout the Township were
78
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found to be mildly contaminated, and surface water drains were found to be
receiving heavily polluted runoff from ponded septic effluent because septic
systems were malfunctioning. Because of such conditions, which have been
judged to present public health hazards to the residents of Sumpter Town-
ship, a facilities plan has been completed which proposes a sewer system for
the Township which would discharge collected wastewater to the proposed Huron
Valley Interceptor.
While problem areas for individual disposal systems have been documented
by the local health departments, no comprehensive land suitability studies
have been undertaken. It is unclear, therefore, as to how much new develop-
ment could be accomodated by septic systems in currently undeveloped sections
of the project area compared to how much would require sewers.
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4.0. FUTURE SITUATION WITHOUT ACTION
The alternative of "no action" essentially would entail continued
operation of the six project area WWTPs without any significant expansion,
upgrading, or replacement during the current design period (to 1995). The
effect in some cases would be to limit growth and to exacerbate environmental
problems. Because certain aspects of this alternative would violate State
and Federal laws, it is not a feasible solution.
The Walled Lake and City of Trenton WWTPs may be capable of maintaining
adequate treatment levels through 1995 without significant modification unless
service area population grows at rates larger than projected. The other four
WWTPs would continue to discharge effluent which does not meet State standards.
Pollutant loadings from discharge of inadequately treated wastewater at the
Flat Rock, Rockwood, and Wayne County-Trenton WWTPs, and the Brownstown
Lagoons would continue to increase, especially in the Lower Huron River. The
Detroit River and the western basin of Lake Erie also will continue to be
degraded, but the effects would be less discernible.
Raw sewage which would be discharged by overloaded treatment facilities
would contain high levels of BOD, solids, and other pollutants, including
potential discharges of heavy metals and toxic substances. Increased algal
production probably would result from the nutrients in effluents from these
WWTPs. Dissolved oxygen levels would be lowered by high BOD loads and by
decomposition of aquatic vegetation. Elevated levels of suspended solids
would increase turbidity and siltation. The benthic habitat would suffer
and it is likely that only the most pollution-tolerant forms would survive.
Fish populations increasingly would become characterized by "rough fish".
Bacterial levels in the Lower Huron River may increase sharply as the
volume of untreated or partially-treated wastewater increases. This could
result in restrictions on body-contact recreation in many areas.
Direct adverse impacts on air quality would be minimal. It is possible
that as the four WWTPs increasingly become overloaded, odors could become a
persistent problem. In addition, odors may be generated in sections of the
Lower Huron River as progressively larger amounts of raw sewage are discharged
and as plants die and decompose.
Significant impacts are likely to occur in wetlands as pollutant loadings
increase throughout the project area. The most severe stress would be placed
on swamps, bogs, and marshes adjacent to the Lower Huron River downstream
from the Flat Rock WWTP and on wetlands along the western shore of Lake Erie.
Wetland plants eventually may be restricted to only the most pollution-tolerant
forms. The degraded habitat may not be suitable to support the current
waterfowl and other wildlife usage. Algal blooms would be common.
Continuing deterioration of area watercourses and Lake Erie would have
substantial adverse effects on the aesthetics of the project area. Visual
impacts along the Lower Huron River and Lake Erie could include algal mats,
dead fish, and debris. The aesthetic quality of riverside parks would decline.
80
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Because the four WWTPs would be unable to meet conditions of their
respective NPDES permits to discharge (Section 3.5) and because stream water
quality standards would be violated, legal action would be taken against the
operators of these systems. This would include enforcement of sewer connection
bans in service areas where the WWTP is overloaded or otherwise failing
to meet effluent requirements. (Such a ban was temporarily implemented by the
Michigan WRC in early 1978 for the Flat Rock-Huron Township, Wayne County-
Trenton, Rockwood-South Rockwood, and southern Brownstown Township service
areas.) Legal proceedings resulting in court orders to upgrade and expand
the WWTPs also would likely be forthcoming. The potential exists that fines
could be levied against the communities.
The lack of adequate new capacity at public wastewater treatment
facilities would require increased use of on-site disposal systems. Many
sections of the project area have soils which generally are unsuitable for
such systems, especially in Sumpter Township. Increasing use of on-site
disposal systems may result in groundwater contamination and degradation
of surface water. The utilization of wells may be curtailed in some places,
forcing importation of potable water.
Growth patterns could be influenced by the lack of sufficient treatment
capacity in the project area. Costs for new housing could rise substantially
to cover the expense of septic tank installation. Sewer-connection bans
and/or dependence on private septic systems would limit the density of
residential development. The dispersed pattern of population distribution
could contribute to preservation of the rural and semi-rural character of a
large segment of the project area. It also is possible that "leap-frog"
growth will occur. Locales with soil suitable for disposal of wastes from on-
site systems will attract new development, while areas with unsuitable soils
will be bypassed. On a larger scale, development may shift to locations out-
side the project area where public sewerage facilities are available. This
substantially could limit industrial and commercial expansion in the project
area.
The combination of depressed economic development and increased costs
of lands suitable for development would tend to exclude low-income families.
The trend could be toward low-density residential communities whose residents
work outside the area.
A dispersed pattern of area development would place an emphasis on the
use of the automobile for transportation. Workers would be required to
commute over longer distances and fuel consumption would increase. Relative
future traffic volume, however, may be decreased when compared to the levels
likely to result from more intensive development. Low-density housing is
not likely to encourage expansion of existing roads.
The lower growth rate associated with the "no action" alternative could
aid in the preservation of cultural, historical, and archaeological resources.
Limited development would be less likely to result in destruction of signifi-
cant cultural and historic sites. A rural character in the project area
would enhance the setting of historic buildings and districts. Archaeo-
logical resources would be subject to less disturbance by new construction.
Conversely, discoveries owing to excavations for developments would be limited.
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The limited future growth which is likely to result from the "no action"
alternative probably would not create a need for substantially increased
community services. In those areas where new development occurs in a
widely-scattered manner, it may be difficult to provide a high level of
service because of limited personnel. For example, police would be required
to cover larger areas per officer if dwellings and businesses were spread
out than if developments were more concentrated.
Redistribution of population and lack of growth may reduce the need
for existing schools in many parts of the project area. Communities whose
future plans incorporate a dependence on new residents may be unable to
meet financial obligations with a stabilizing or declining population.
Recreational resource use also may be affected. As the environment
deteriorates in areas subject to increasing pollution, the demand for
suitable recreation areas will shift to relatively unaffected locations. In
the project area and in neighboring communities, many governmental units
may be unable to provide sufficient natural recreation areas to replace
those degraded by pollution.
Failure to act to remedy wastewater management problems in the project
area may have significant adverse impacts on future public finances. Growth
is likely to be limited and some communities may experience out-migration
of residents as the sewer service problem worsens. The local tax base could
decrease if population and industry leave the project area. The per capita
tax burden may become very heavy in some communities. It is possible that land
values will not rise as rapidly as those in adjacent areas, and some land may
decrease in value. This would add to the tax problem, especially in communities
such as Canton Township and the City of Woodhaven which depend heavily on
property taxes as a source of general revenue (Section 3.1.3.).
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5.0. ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS
5.1. Introduction
The development of alternative wastewater management systems to serve
the Huron Valley project area began with the selection of potentially
functional components. The following five components were considered
in the development of alternatives:
• Flow and Waste Reduction
• Collection System
• Wastewater Treatment Processes and Sites
• Effluent Disposal Methods and Sites
• Sludge Processing and Disposal.
Several optional technologies or programs are available for each compo-
nent (Section 5.2.). The options selected for one component, however, must
be compatible with options considered for other components; i.e., there
are functional dependencies among the various component options. For
example, reduction of wastewater flow is highly compatible with any of the
various collection system options, but a regional interceptor is not com-
patible with a wastewater treatment option which includes upgrading and
expanding existing treatment plants. Thus, consideration of one component
option may preclude or necessitate consideration of other options in another
component.
Through the screening of options for each of the five components,
compatible options were combined into conceptual system alternatives.
Those which exhibited reasonable cost; technical feasibility; acceptable
environmental, socioeconondc, and energy impacts; and social implementability
were brought forward for more detailed engineering and costing. Alternatives
previously selected for detailed costing in the HVWWCS Facility Plan auto-
matically were analyzed further. Five system alternatives and a variation
of one alternative are discussed in detail herein.
5.2. Component Options
5.2.1. Flow and Waste Reduction
Options considered under this component include:
• Infiltration/Inflow Reduction
• Conservation of Fater
« Diversion of Wastewater
• Flow Equalization
• Industrial Pretreatment and/or Reuse.
5.2.1.1. Infiltration/Inflow Reduction
Wayne County, the HVWWCS project sponsoring agency, prepared an
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analysis of infiltration/inflow (I/I) for the Huron Valley Wastewater
Control System (1976). The purpose of the study was to compare the estimated
costs of removing excessive I/I from existing sewerage systems in the
project area to the costs of transmitting and treating the I/I at the
proposed regional WWTP (Alternative I). The costs of transmission were
estimated at $2,050 for each gallon per minute (gpm) of infiltration and
$1,592 for each gpm of inflow. It was estimated that 28.84 cfs (18.64
mgd) of interceptor flow and treatment of 3.42 mgd could be eliminated
from the existing systems at a lower cost than the cost of providing for
such flows in the HVWWCS. The final recommendation of the study was that
local Sewer System Evaluation Surveys (SSESs) should be conducted to ver-
ify or refute the conclusions presented in the report. Applications for
funds to complete these surveys in most project area communities are
awaiting State and Federal approval. An SSES is underway for the City of
Trenton.
Based on the conclusions of these studies, recommendations will be
made on the amount of I/I which can be cost-effectively removed from ex-
isting systems. Corrective measures should reduce system flows propor-
tionately.
New sewerage constructed in presently unsewered sections of the
project area would be required to meet minimum I/I standards. It there-
fore is assumed that future wastewater flows will be relatively free of
I/I contributions, proportionately reducing the current community per
capita flow rates.
5.2.1.2. Conservation of Water
Water conservation as a means of reducing wastewater flows is usually
difficult to attain and often is only marginally effective. Traditional
water conservation practices have proven to be socially undesirable ex-
cept in areas where water shortages exist. Furthermore, such measures
usually succeed in limiting only luxury water usages such as lawn watering,
car washing, or swimming pool use which do not impose loads on sanitary
sewer systems.
One example of a water conservation measure presently being applied in
some water-short areas is the imposition of price controls on water use.
Through water metering and the application of escalated charges for ex-
cessive use, incentives are created to reduce consumption. Such a pro-
gram would likely be ineffective in the water-rich southeast Michigan area.
Mandatory water conservation through the imposition of plumbing
code restrictions potentially could reduce domestic sewage flows. Restrictions
which limit new or replacement toilets to a 3.5 gallon capacity and shower
head flow rates to 3 gallons per minute would reduce both water demand
and sewage flows. Retrofitting plumbing fixtures with such water saving
devices, however, has been shown to be ineffective at times. Experience
in the Washington Suburban Sanitary District indicates that unless properly
maintained, such devices deteriorate and sometimes adversely affect the
operation of the fixture to which they are attached. For example, impro-
perly functioning devices which were designed to reduce the amount of water
utilized in flush toilets caused some toilets to fail to flush completely,
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necessitating a second flush. The result was increased water use instead
of conservation.
The various water utilities serving project area communities should
monitor water pressures throughout their systems and utilize pressure
reducing valves, or similar measures, where water pressures are higher
than necessary. This would reduce the use of water and unnecessary waste-
water flow. Similarly, the water utility authorities could cooperate
with the sewer system authorities in pursuing educational campaigns
on the benefits of water conservation. Spot television or radio public
service messages, and leaflets enclosed in water and/or sewer bills to
residents which discuss the link between water-use conservation, reduction
in sewage flow, and the resulting personal cost savings could result in
some degree of flow reduction. Reduction in peak flows especially might
be attainable. While no reduction of flows as a result of potential
water use conservation has been assumed in system alternatives (Section
5.3.), implementation of conservation measures at some future time could
reduce flows sufficiently and could extend somewhat the design capacity of
the collection and treatment components.
5.2.1.3. Diversion of Flows
Some existing flows to sanitary sewers, such as uncontaminated cooling
waters, potentially could be diverted. Such waters could be discharged
to storm drains, reducing proportionately the flows in the sanitary system.
No information presently is available, however, to aid in the estimation
of the possible reduction in volume which might be achievable. Diversion
of new flows to existing wastewater treatment systems which have adequate
conveyance and treatment capacities is another option. At present, the
Detroit Metropolitan WWTP is under a court order to expand and upgrade.
As a result, the Detroit WWTP should have a limited ability to accept
additional future flows from its existing service areas. Redistribution
of population and the resulting changes in wastewater flows in the future
may provide additional wastewater management options for some communities
served by the Detroit WWTP.
The Downriver-Wyandotte WWTP receives contract flows from the City
of Belleville and the southern two-thirds of Van Buren Township. The
plant presently experiences wet weather hydraulic overflows because of
the substantial amount of I/I in the collection system. Future flows
at this plant are difficult to predict and diversion of increased project
area flows to this system appears to be impractical. The other relatively
small wastewater treatment systems in proximity to the project area (such
as Wixom, etc.) appear to have very little potential for receiving diverted
flows. Therefore, treatment of future project area wastewater flows by
those systems cannot be expected and options incorporating such diversions
were not carried forward.
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5.2.1.4. Flow Equalization
Diurnal flow variations in both volume and strength of wastewaters
can be reduced by flow equalization. This eliminates the high peak flows
which can reduce required interceptor sewer capacity. Temporary storage
basins are utilized to hold the daily peak flows for discharge to the
downstream system during daily low-flow periods. The part of the wastewater
collection system in the City of Novi which discharges to the Middle Rouge
Interceptor of the RVSDD utilizes an equalization basin which maximizes use
of limited contract capacity. This system has increased the system's capa-
city by a factor of 2.6 (US-EPA 1974). Utilization of equalization basins
by other project area communities should receive further consideration.
5.2.1.5. Industrial Pretreatment and/or Reuse
Very little information is available on the quantity of flow or
wasteloads contributed to sewer systems by industries in the project area.
Options would involve industrial plant modifications to reduce water
use and wasteload concentration. Reuse of industrial wastewaters would
be unlikely unless the purchase price for industrial makeup or cooling
water approached the cost for in-plant wastewater treatment and recycling.
US-EPA Pretreatment Guidelines (1973, 1977) are expected to be enforced
in the project area. Therefore, no option which includes specific indus-
trial flow or load reductions is included.
5.2.2. Collection System
Existing wastewater collection and interceptor systems in the pro-
ject area were described in Section 3.4. Options for this component
address the development of new interceptor sewer systems to service existing
and potential new service areas. Indirectly, these options must consider the
sewering of presently-unsewered areas, although such actions would be part of
independent facility planning efforts by local communities.
As previously stated (Section 5.2.1.3.), facility plans have not
been prepared for sewer system construction in presently-unsewered White
Lake Township, Commerce Township, or Wolverine Lake. Those areas remaining
unsewered in Novi, Northville Township, Plymouth Township, Canton Township,
Van Buren Township, Huron Township, or Brownstown Township also would require
a facility plan prior to detailed system design. US-EPA1s Program
Requirements Memorandum (PRM) 78-9 (3 March 1978) specifies that before
Federal funding can be approved for construction of new sewage collection
systems, the following requirements/criteria must be met:
• The area under consideration for collection sewers must have
substantial human habitation in existence on 18 October 1972
• The proposed collection system must abate a public health hazard, a
groundwater contamination problem, or a surface water quality
violation
• The proposed collection system, including treatment cost, must
be cost-effective when compared to other alternatives such as
non-sewered solutions
• The proposed system must be designed so that the bulk (generally
two-thirds) of the design capacity in the collector sewers will
be for wastes originating from communities (habitations) in
existence on 18 October 1972
• The project costs must have been displayed publicly or disclosed
to the anticipated users.
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Although options are being considered which propose interception of waste-
water flows from Commerce and White Lake Townships, facility plans have not
been prepared to provide a basis for whether or not conditions warrant the
construction of sewers. Should sewering these communities be found to be
undesirable, interceptor system options would need to be revised to eliminate
service to these areas.
A Facility Plan has been prepared for the construction of a sewer system
in Sumpter Township (Wade, Trims Associates, Inc. 1977). "Alternate C"
developed in the plan was preliminarily ranked as the most cost-effective
alternate for the Township. Total capital cost for the sewer system in the
Township plus the interceptor to connect with the proposed Huron Valley Re-
gional Interceptor is $9,461,000. This plan proposes more extensive sewering
in Sumpter Township than is considered to be served by the regional intercep-
tor proposals. ^
Utilization of the existing contract capacities held by project area
communities in the RVSDD and Downriver District (DD) was analyzed. Options
ranged from maximum use of current capacity allocations (assuming cost ef-
fective removal of I/I) to total elimination of project area flows to these
systems. Continued flows to the RVSDD and DD potentially would reduce the
amount of new capacity required for the HVWWCS and would take advantage of
existing investment in wastewater conveyance systems. Redistribution of
contract capacities within the project area also was examined. Another con-
sideration was the potential need for eastern RVSDD communities to obtain
additional capacity in the Rouge Valley interceptors to reduce their wet
weather combined sewer overflow problems. Reduction in flow from the western
communities to the Rouge Valley interceptors, therefore, also was considered
as an option.
Options which include construction of new east-west interceptors were
eliminated because of the limited ability of the Detroit and Wayne County-
Wyandotte WWTPs to accept wastewater flows from project area communities
in excess of present contract capacities. Therefore, only new interceptor
configurations which convey wastewater along north-south alignments were
carried forward.
The new north-south regional interceptor alignment tentatively proposed
by Wayne County as part of its Alternative III project consists of a 53-mile
main-stem interceptor. The northern-most terminus is at the intersection of
Cooley Lake and Caroll Lake Roads (White Lake Township-Commerce Township
boundary line). From there, the interceptor is routed to the south between
Fox Lake and Carrol Lake, and then along the Upper Huron River to Commerce.
From there it follows the eastern shoreline of Commerce Lake and angles to
a point immediately south of the lake in Oakley Park. It would be tunneled
due south under Benstein Road into Novi (west of Walled Lake) to 12-Mile Road.
From this point, the existing Oakland County interceptor would be utilized as it
parallels the C&O Railroad tracks to 10-Mile Road in central Novi. The existing
Middle Rouge interceptor would be utilized from there to Northville. The capacity
of the Middle Rouge interceptor would not accomodate all flows added to the
system in the Northville area. A parallel, open-cut sewer would be constructed
(generally along the C&O Railroad track from south of Northville southerly to
87
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US-EPA. 1978. Construction costs for municipal wastewater treatment plants:
1973-1977, MCD-37, EPA 430/9-77-013. US Environmental Protection
Agency, Office of Water Program Operations, Washington DC, variously
paged.
USGS. 1976. Water resources data for Michigan, water year 1975, Water data
report MI-75-1, US Department of the Interior, Geological Survey,
Okemos MI.
Veal, D., and D. Osmond. 1968. Bottom fauna of the western basin and near-
shore Canadian waters of Lake Erie. Proc. llth Conference on Great
Lakes Research.
Verway, D.I., and W. Grier (Editors). 1977. Michigan statistical abstract.
Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration,
Michigan State University, East Lansing MI, 1,159 pp.
Wade, Trim & Associates, Inc. 1977. Facility planning study, Sumpter
Township. Wade, Trim & Associates, Inc., Taylor MI, 125 pp. plus
appendices and maps.
Wagner, W.H., E.G. Voss, J.H. Beaman, E.A. Bourdo, F.W, Case, J.A, Churchill,
and P.W. Thompson. 1977. Endangered, threatened, and rare vascular
plants in Michigan. Michigan Botanist 16: 99-122.
Water Pollution Control Federation. 1970. Design and construction of
sanitary and storm sewers. Manual of practice No. 9, Water Pollution
Control Federation, Washington DC, 332 pp.
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analysis for Huron Valley Wastewater Control System. Water Control
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171 tyUS. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE' 1978—650-353
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population characteristics, Michigan. US Department of Commerce, Bureau
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of the Army, Buffalo District, Corps of Engineers, Buffalo NY.
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US Department of Labor. 1977a. Employment and earnings, states and areas,
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facilities: Federal guidelines. US Department of the Interior,
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McNamee, Porter, and Seeley. 1975. Drought flows of the Huron River in the
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8.0. LITERATURE CITED
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166
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A thorough archaeological literature review and assessment of the con-
ceptual route of the regional interceptor should be conducted as soon as
possible. The survey should be carried out by a professional archaeologist
and the efforts should be coordinated with the State Historic Preservation
Officer (SHPO). These efforts should be completed prior to final route design
so as to permit any required changes in the route of the interceptor. Con-
struction activities should be monitored closely. Excavation should cease im-
mediately if artifacts are encountered and the SHPO should be notified at once.
The route of the regional interceptor should avoid crossing parkland
and recreational areas to the maximum extent. Where it is infeasible to
avoid such routing, construction activities should be scheduled (insofar as
practicable) to occur during periods of reduced public use (October-May).
Coordination of project design and implementation with Federal, State,
and local agencies is essential. The US Department of Housing and Urban
Development; the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; the US
Department of Commerce; SEMCOG; Wayne and Oakland Counties; the City of
Detroit; and local municipalities should be active participants in the
decision-making process for the HVWWCS. Especial attention should be given
to secondary growth issues which are pivotal to future human needs and
environmental quality in the Southeast Michigan Region.
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Results of I/I studies should be incorporated into the recommended
alternative. Sewer system evaluation surveys need to be completed and the
results should be integrated into system design. Detailed information on
the need for local collector sewer systems and specific cost estimates
should be prepared. The potential for overloading the Middle and Lower Rouge
Interceptors with flows from communities in the Huron Valley project area must
be determined. Plans to accomodate such overloads must be developed.
The shares of system construction and operation costs borne by industrial
users (as required by Federal regulations — 39 FR 5261) should be determined.
This would provide participating communities with a more realistic estimate
of their shares of system costs.
The initial stages of engineering design (Step II) for the HVWWCS should
be started as soon as possible in the southern part of the project area
(through Canton Township — Alternative D). These stages include the aerial
photography, soil analyses, preliminary route surveying, and archaeological
surveys. Sewer system evaluation surveys, rehabilitation work, and local
facility planning for expanded service areas should proceed concurrently.
Based on this information, the capacity and northern terminus of the inter-
ceptor could be determined without significant delay of design. (Delays in
start-up of project construction are extremely expensive in terms of inflated
costs and continued degradation of water quality.)
Local facility plans also should investigate alternatives for local
wastewater management which are independent of the proposed HVWWCS. (The
Facility Plan previously prepared for Sumpter Township only considered alter-
natives which are dependent on the HVWWCS.) These studies would provide
information early in the "Step II" design phase of the HVWWCS and would allow
communities which can develop more cost-effective local systems to drop out
of the regional system before design is completed. This would help minimize
the need for system re-design caused by future community decisions to not
participate in the regional system.
Another important reason for concurrent local facility planning is
illustrated by the conclusions contained in the Facility Plan completed for
Sumpter Township. It was determined that the proposed Sumpter-Van Buren Arm
of the regional interceptor (Alternatives A-l through D) is not needed for
Sumpter Township. Further, it is stated in the Facility Plan that the inter-
ceptor appears to be unwarranted in Van Buren Township as well. Facilities
plans which identify adequate local collection systems and accurate projected
flows are integral to the design of a cost-effective regional wastewater
control system.
Detailed estimates of the costs for the participation of each community
should be developed. Each community then should evaluate the impact of
participation on its ability to undertake new debt. Considerations in the
analyses should include present debt and tax levels, commitments for other
future expenditures, and similar issues. This will aid communities in their
decisions regarding participation in the HVWWCS.
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State of California and subsequent local initiatives throughout the country.
Emplacement of an interceptor for Alternatives A-l, A-2, B, C, and D will
have a significant potential for the disturbance and/or destruction of
archaeological sites in the project area. Construction activities also may
interfere with public use of local recreational facilities, especially in
the Lower Huron, Willow, and Oakwoods Metroparks.
Alternatives A-l, A-2, and B provide for regional interceptor construc-
tion in, and treatment capacity for, the section of the project area north of
Novi. Because the need for such a system has not been demonstrated and
because of the potential primary and secondary impacts of these alternatives
(Tables 25, 32, and 34 respectively), these alternatives are eliminated from
further consideration.
If continued use of the RVSDD is an integral part of system design,
then Alternative C would result in the provision of excess capacity (as would
Alternatives A-l, A-2, and B). This would not be cost-effective and therefore
this alternative is rejected.
Alternative E would not meet the water quality management or sewer
service needs of the project area. Although this alternative may appear to
be the least costly, the direct costs of Alternative E cannot be compared
equitably with the other alternatives (Section 5.3.5.). Alternative E would
not serve large segments of the existing project area population and has no
provision for anticipated future growth. Operation of a system utilizing six
WWTPs raises serious questions regarding reliability. It is likely that more
frequent plant overloads and failures would occur than in a system with one
or two WWTPs. Although the volume of untreated wastewater probably would be
smaller per incident, the impacts could be severe, especially for raw sewage
discharges to the Huron River and the Middle River Rouge. Alternative E
could lead to a proliferation of small WWTPs in developing areas of southeast
Michigan. Such a system could result in significant water quality problems
and large capital expenditures. Alternative E therefore is rejected.
Alternative D is the most cost-effective, reliable, and efficient solution
to the wastewater management needs of the project area through 1995, The
regional interceptor would extend only as far north as Canton Township, would
maximize the use of existing interceptors, and would minimize primary and
secondary impacts. Alternative D therefore should be implemented.
7.2. Recommendations
Alternative D has been selected as the recommended action. Although problems
with individual on-site wastewater disposal systems have been reported from the
Oakland County part of the project area (Section 3.4.9.), no detailed data are
available to document the extent of groundwater or surface water degradation.
In view of the lack of a demonstrated immediate need for a new wastewater control
system in the northern section of the project area, action to expand the Walled
Lake WWTP should be deferred until such time as facility plans and/or other
studies are completed for the Commerce Township-White Lake Township area.
Careful consideration should be given to the possibility of land application
of wastewater to treat future flows which exceed the design capacity of the
existing Walled Lake facility. The possibility of connecting these communities
to the proposed West Arm of Detroit's North Interceptor should be studied. The
establishment of a public septic system maintenance district in White Lake and
Commerce Townships could help to ensure that private septic systems are main-
tained properly.
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7.0. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
7.1. Conelus ions
There is an immediate need for new wastewater facilities to relieve the
overloaded Flat Rock WWTP, and to bring the Rockwood WWTP, the Wayne County-
Trenton WWTP, and the Brownstown Township lagoons into compliance with the
discharge limitations required by their operating permits. In addition,
the potentially hazardous health situation which exists in Sumpter Township
from malfunctioning and in some instances inoperable septic systems must be
remedied. Excessive I/I creates wet-weather flows which exceed the treatment
capacity of the Wayne County-Trenton WWTP. This results in plant flooding
and in the discharge to the Detroit River of effluent which has received
only partial treatment.
Service to project area communities in the RVSDD is hampered by I/I through-
out the system and combined sewer flows in the eastern section of the district.
Overloads frequently occur during periods of wet weather. Studies currently are
being conducted to determine whether the Detroit WWTP will have adequate capacity to
meet the sanitary sewer service needs of its present customers. The
Detroit facility may have sufficient capacity to handle additional future
flows from its current service area. Plow equalization techniques can
reduce the required capacity of interceptors. An example is the use
of an equalization basin by the City of Novi.
Data are not available on the magnitude and composition of industrial
wastewater contributions to municipal treatment systems. The total cost and
impacts of the expanded and upgraded collector sewer systems required for
wastewater management within the project area are unknown. Based on infor-
mation presented in this EIS (Section 3.4.), no immediate need exists for a
new wastewater management system in the northern section of the project area
(north of Novi).
The large capacity provided by a regional system (especially Alternatives
A-l, A-2, B, and C) in an area with extensive undeveloped land could induce
significant development. The population of the City of Detroit has been
decreasing since 1950, Available data indicate that the rate of out-migration
has been increasing. Industry has moved into suburban areas, where land is
less expensive than in the city and where good transportation is available.
If the rate of out-migration from the City of Detroit is maintained or
accelerated by the availability of regional sewer service, the Federal Govern-
ment would have committed significant funds to a project which is contrary
to the national urban policy (see Section 6.3.).
Implementation of a large, expensive regional wastewater treatment system
would require significant expenditures by governmental units in the project
area. The potential impact would vary from community to community (Sections
6.1.2. and 6.2.2.). It is questionable whether some project area jurisdic-
tions, most notably Woodhaven, could bear the burden of large capital and
O&M expenditures. If user charges are not sufficient to pay all the costs
of construction and operation of a new system, the necessary monies will have
to be obtained by special assessments or by increased tax rates. The willing-
ness of local residents to accept new debt and potentially increased taxation
is uncertain, especially in light of the so-called "taxpayers' revolt" in the
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6.7. Relationship Between Short-term Uses of Man's Environment and Maintenance
and Enhancement of Long-term Productivity
The provision of a regionalized wastewater control system in the project
area would irretrievably commit resources for short-term use—the next 40 to
50 years. The growth which would be facilitated through the provision of
the HVWWCS would destroy for the long-term productive agricultural lands,
wildlife habitat, and open-space.
Short-term nuisance conditions from construction activities would be
incurred to provide longer-term wastewater control service. The investment
in non-recoverable resources committed to project construction and operation
would be traded-off for the amount of public service provided for the life
of the system (40 to 50 years). Long-term improvements in water quality
from improvement of municipal discharges and elimination of septic systems
also would be derived from the short-term investment.
If continued out-migration of residents from Detroit and its older
suburbs to the project area is stimulated through the provision of the
HVWWCS, then the short-term decision to implement the system would contribute
to the long-term decline of the City of Detroit. As discussed in Section
6.3., abandonment of existing public infrastructure in Detroit and the
creation of new, duplicate infrastructure in the project area is a long-
term waste of resources.
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the requirement for disposal cannot be avoided.
The construction and operation of the HVWWCS will cost a considerable
amount of money and consume a significant amount of the resources (Section
6.1. and 6.2.). Although the size of the system may be reduced to lessen
the impact, some significant amount of resources must be copanitted to provide
the needed level of service. The construction of a smaller system also may
require construction of additional capacity in the future. The impacts re-
sulting from growth induced by interceptor construction may be reducible as
discussed in Section 6.4., but are not avoidable. Similarly the impacts
from abandonment of existing public infrastructure in Detroit as the result
of continued or increased out-migration to the project area would be unavoid-
able.
6.6. Irretrievable and Irreversible Resource Commitments
The major types and amounts of resources which would be committed through
the implementation of any of the six alternatives are presented in Sections
6.1. and 6.2. These include public capital, energy, land, labor, and
unsalvageable materials. For each alternative, there is a significant
consumption of these resources with no feasible means of recovery. Thus,
non-recoverable resources would be foregone for the provision of the proposed
wastewater control system.
Growth which may be induced in the project area through provision of a
large capacity wastewater control system would irretrievably convert produc-
tive agricultural lands, wildlife habitat, and open-space to urban uses.
Such an action would permanently impair the food and wildlife production
capability of the area.
Accidents which could occur from system construction and operation could
cause irreversible bodily damage or death, and damage or destroy equipment
and other resources. Unmitigated treatment plant failure potentially could
kill aquatic life in the immediate mixing zone.
The continued discharge of nutrients, especially phosphorus, to Lake
Erie by the WWTPs in the various alternatives would hasten the eutrophication
of Lake Erie. While this effect can be slowed through remedial actions in
the future, it cannot be entirely reversed.
The potential accidental destruction of undiscovered archaeological sites
through excavation activities is not reversible. This would represent
permanent loss of the site.
Once communities sign contracts to participate in the construction of a
regional wastewater control system, the legal constraints as well as the
large commitment of public funds would preclude future community options for
an alternative system. While this is not a permanent commitment, it is a
long-term commitment relative to commitments for many other public services.
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prevent the accumulation of toxic substances in WWTP sludge, allowing it to
be suitable for agricultural application. In this way, the nutrients contained
in the sludge are recycled instead of requiring energy to dispose of them
through incineration.
6.4.3. Minimization of Secondary Impacts
Secondary impacts from growth induced by system construction (Alternatives
A-l through D - Section 6.3.) largely can be reduced through coordinated
growth management planning. Communities in the project area each have
zoning ordinances which provide them the legal means to regulate the general
location, density, and type of growth. This should be coordinated throughout
the project area through County planning agencies and by SEMCOG to ensure
regional needs also are considered.
Through the application of growth management controls, new growth can be
located in centralized areas so as to facilitate efficient delivery of
public services. Planning for streets and roads, public utilities, schools,
hospitals, parks, and industrial areas is already underway in most communities
and must be capable of preventing problems associated with sprawl.
Application of the general types of construction impact control measures
as described in Section 6.4.1. would help reduce potential short-term air
quality, noise, and water quality problems. Local requirements for retention
of storm runoff from large parking lots and other large impervious areas to
promote infiltration would lessen the impact of runoff on receiving waters.
6.5. Unavoidable Adverse Impacts
There is a general amount of short-term disruption associated with major
construction projects as proposed in Alternatives A-l through E which cannot
be avoided. Construction activities produce noise, and in areas where no
alternative route can be found to minimize noise impacts, nuisance conditions
would exist. The proposed construction activities also would degrade the
aesthetic quality of an area for the duration of construction. Heavy equip-
ment is integral to construction and must have access to and from the site
areas. Traffic congestion may be created. These impacts must be tolerated
for the duration of construction.
Any system alternative which proposes a public wastewater control system
where collected wastewater cannot be applied to land for treatment and/or
disposal must discharge treated wastewater to a receiving water. The affect
the discharge has on the quality of the receiving water is regulated by the
plant's discharge permit (Section 6.4.2.). There will be some effect in the
mixing zone and some lesser effect downstream. This effect traditionally
has been considered acceptable when the economics of wastewater treatment are
considered.
The minimal increase in background noise and odor levels not eliminated
through the use of a buffer zone at the proposed WWTP sites would be a residual
effect of plant operation. Wastewater treatment by its very nature, produces
large quantities of biologically and chemically unstabilized solid waste
which must be disposed of in some manner. Although the impacts can be reduced,
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Through the incorporation of these types of factors in the design and
operation of the wastewater control system for the Huron Valley project
area, the system will be virtually "fail-safe". This is necessary to ensure
that effluent standards will be met during the system's entire design life.
These factors can be applied more economically to the design of larger
WWTPs, such as the regional WWTPs proposed in Alternatives A-l, A-2, B, C,
and D, than to the small plants proposed in Alternative E.
Phosphorus concentrations, as well as concentrations of other parameters,
can be reduced further in the WWTPs effluent through application of advanced
treatment processes. The extremely high relative cost of providing tertiary
treatment must be compared with the benefits derived to ensure that unnecessary
cost burdens are not imposed. The MDNR has determined that expansion of the
existing WWTPs which discharge to the Lower Huron River (Flat Rock, Rockwood,
and Southern Brownstown) as proposed in Alternative E would require tertiary
treatment (Section 5.2.4.). The benefit of requiring tertiary treatment of
wastewater discharged to the Detroit River (from a potential new WWTP to
replace the Wayne County-Trenton WWTP and from the Trenton WWTP) or from the
proposed regional WWTP with discharge to Lake Erie, would only marginally
improve water quality. (The assimilative capacity of these waters is
exceptionally great.) Reduction of effluent phosphorus to less than 1.0
mg/1 would be a desirable goal in terms of the effort to reduce the rate of
eutrophication of Lake Erie, if its cost-effectiveness could be proven.
Severe adverse impacts which would occur in the WWTP outfall mixing zone
in Lake Erie, could be reduced through modification of the design of the out-
fall structure, the discharge could be diffused, improving mixing. This
would eliminate the "slug" discharge effect.
Most employees who would lose their jobs through the abandonment of
existing WWTPs in the project area probably could find employment at the new
regional plant. Because of the long distance between the Walled Lake WWTP
and the regional plant site in southern Brownstown Township, plant operators
from Walled Lake probably would have to relocate.
Problems with existing septic systems, especially in Sumpter, Commerce,
and White Lake Townships, which would not be alleviated under Alternative E,
could possibly be improved through establishment of public septic system
maintenance districts. Through this mechanism, adequate maintenance of
existing systems and identification of failing systems for repair potentially
could relieve problems in many cases. Enforcement of county health ordinances
also would preclude future problems with new systems. A public water supply
system in Sumpter Township in place of individual private supplies would elim-
inate the potential for contaminated water supplies caused by failing septic
systems in the township.
Energy and materials consumption related to construction and operation
of proposed sewage sludge incineration facilities at WWTPs proposed in the
various alternatives could be precluded if sites could be found for land
application of sludge. Knowledge of the chemical content of the sludge
would be required to determine suitability for application and application
rates. Pretreatment of industrial wastes to remove toxic materials should
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discharge of participate matter from sludge incinerators to 1.30 pounds
per ton dry sludge input (US-EPA 1975). In addition, incinerator emissions
must remain in compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(US-EPA 1971) for the various primary pollutants. Potential odor formation
from incineration can be prevented through proper operational procedures.
Temporary incinerator ash storage on-site should be in an enclosed area
and ash should be transported in covered trucks to disposal sites. Proper
landfilling techniques should be practiced at the disposal site to prevent
wind dispersal of the ash.
An NPDES permit would be required from the MDNR prior to the discharge
of effluent from any of the WWTPs proposed in the various system alternatives.
The discharge permit would specify discharge quality (Section 5.2.4.) and would
require daily monitoring of the effluent. Periodic plant inspections would
be conducted by the MDNR. If the conditions of the permit were violated,
enforcement action would be taken against the management agency to ensure
compliance.
Federal Guidelines for Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Wastewater
Treatment Facilities (USDI 1970) require that:
All water pollution control facilities should be planned and designed
so as to provide for maximum reliability at all times. The facility
should be capable of operating satisfactorily during power failures,
flooding, peak loads, equipment failure, and maintenance shutdowns.
The wastewater control system design for the project area should consider
the following types of factors during the "Step II" phase of the Construction
Grants process to ensure system reliability (after USDI 1970):
• Duplicate sources of electric power
• Standby power for essential plant elements
• Multiple units and equipment to provide maximum flexibility in operation
• Replacement parts readily available
• Holding tanks or basins to provide for emergency storage of overflow
and adequate pump-back facilities
• Flexibility of piping and pumping facilities to permit rerouting
of flows under emergency conditions
• Provision for emergency storage or disposal of sludge
• Dual chlorination units
• Automatic controls to regulate and record chlorine residuals
• Automatic alarm systems to warn of high water, power failure, or
equipment malfunction
• No treatment plant or upstream by-passes
• Design of interceptor to permit emergency storage without causing
back-ups
• Enforcement of pretreatment regulations to avoid industrial waste-
induced treatment upsets
• Flood-proofing of treatment plant
• Plant Operations and Maintenance Manual to have section on emergency
operation procedures
• Utilize highly qualified plant operators.
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Construction sites, equipment storage areas, and tunnel access areas,
should be fenced to restrict entry and to prevent accidents. Traffic control
would be needed at points where construction equipment would enter onto public
streets. This would reduce the potential for accidents. Announcements
should be published in newspapers and broadcast through other news media
to alert drivers of temporary closings of primary traffic routes during
interceptor construction. Emergency service organizations should be alerted
to prevent interruption of prompt delivery of services.
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Executive Order 11593,
the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974, and the 1973
Procedures of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation require that care
must be taken early in the planning process to identify cultural resources
and minimize adverse effects on them. US-EPA's final regulations for the
preparation of EISs (40 FR 16818) also specify that compliance with these
regulations is required when a Federally funded, licensed, or permitted
project is undertaken. Due to the lack of adequate information on existing
archaeological resources in the project area, it may be necessary to conduct
on-foot surveys (conducted by professional archaeologists) of the interceptor
ROW, especially in areas of high site potential (Figure 6). In addition,
it may be necessary to provide archaeological expertise during construction
in critical areas to avoid destruction of archaeological resources. If
not already identified, project delays due to involvement with discovered
archaeological sites would be costly. For this reason, adequate ground
coverage surveys during the planning period are advisable. Consultation
with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) should be undertaken
concerning cultural resources before the commitment of capital for project
construction.
Project costs could be lessened to an extent through construction of
a smaller, less costly system. Alternative E offers the minimum project
cost, though it does not meet other project area needs. Optimizing use of
existing capacity in the RVSDD and DD systems would reduce the expenditure
for new capacity. A smaller system also would commit smaller amounts of
other irretrievable resources, such as energy, materials, and labor.
6.4.2. Mitigation of Operation Impacts
Most potentially adverse operational aspects of the various system
alternatives relate to the discharge of treated effluent to project area
waterways (Section 6.2.). Measures to minimize WWTP discharge impacts
proposed in each system alternative considered in Section 5.3. are dis-
cussed below.
Gaseous emissions and odors from various WWTP processes can be controlled
to a large extent through proper plant operation procedures. Additionally,
in the case of the regional WWTP to be sited in southern Brownstown Township
(Alternative A-l through D), a buffer zone could be established beyond which
emissions and odors would be relatively undetectable. Such a buffer zone,
consisting of trees and shrubs also would serve to reduce noise transmitted
from the plant site and would help maintain the existing aesthetics on part
of the site area.
Emissions from proposed sludge incinerators would be regulated by
the US-EPA's New Source Performance Standards. Thccc standards limit
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Adherence to these requirements would serve to mitigate potential problems
to a large extent. The requirements include:
• Construction site selection should consider potential occurrence
of erosion and sediment losses
• The project plan and layout should be designed to fit the local
topography and soil conditions
• When appropriate, land grading and excavating should be kept
at a minimum to reduce the possibility of creating runoff and
erosion problems which require extensive control measures
• Whenever possible, topsoil should be removed and stockpiled before
grading begins
• Land exposure should be minimized in terms of area and time
• Exposed areas subject to erosion should be covered as quickly
as possible by means of mulching or vegetation
• Natural vegetation should be retained whenever feasible
• Appropriate structural or agronomic practices to control runoff and
sedimentation should be provided during and after construction
• Early completion of stabilized drainage system (temporary and
permanent systems) will substantially reduce erosion potential
• Access roadways and tunnel staging areas should be paved or otherwise
stabilized as soon as feasible
• Clearing and grading should not be started until a firm construction
schedule is known and can be effectively coordinated with the grading
and clearing activity.
Parklands and cemeteries should be avoided in final route design. Where
these areas cannot be avoided, tunneling should be considered to minimize
surface disruption. Trenching through parks, from a cost perspective, should
be scheduled for the off-season, avoiding conflicts with peak summer recreation
demand. The entire interceptor ROW should be reclaimed immediately after
construction to minimize adverse aesthetic impact as well as the other types
of impacts discussed. As a public ROW, the route could be considered as a
public "trail" for walking, biking, or horse paths.
Planning of routes for heavy construction equipment should ensure that
surface load restrictions are considered, avoiding damage to streets and
roadways. Trucks hauling tunnel-spoil from access areas to disposal sites
should be routed along primary arteries to minimize the threat to public
safety. Special care should be taken to minimize disruption of access to
commercial establishments, parks, and other frequently visited sites/areas.
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Construction noise would be difficult to reduce along the interceptor
route. Therefore, the route chosen should attempt to avoid sensitive areas
such as hospitals, schools, and residential areas. Routing the interceptor
along primary traffic arteries would lessen the relative noise impact, but
may increase traffic congestion. Tunneling could substantially lessen noise
impacts and should be considered in noise sensitive areas.
Spoil disposal sites should be identified during the project design stage
("Step II") to ensure that adequate sites are available and that disposal
site impacts are minimized. Plans for landscaping and restoration immediately
after disposal is completed should be included as an integral part of system
design.
Lands disturbed by trenching for interceptor emplacement and tunnel access
areas should be regraded, compacted as necessary to prevent future subsidence
of the fill, and revegetated as soon after construction as possible. If
appropriate, natural vegetation should be favored. Regardless, native plants
should be used. This would facilitate establishment of wildlife habitat.
The final interceptor route design should attempt to avoid wetlands.
The dewatering of trenches and tunnel segments during construction should be
monitored to minimize drawdown effects on the surrounding water table, especially
in wetland areas. Recirculation of withdrawn water to the wetland could
lessen the possibility of desiccation and plant mortality. Return-water must
be of acceptable quality—highly mineralized water could affect wetland
vegetation adversely.
The number of stream crossings should be minimized in the final route
design. Several of the numerous interceptor crossings of the Lower Huron
River might be avoidable through interceptor realignment without increasing
the project cost substantially. Regardless, Section 10 (Rivers and Harbors
Act of 1899) and/or Section 404 (PL 92-500) permits will be required from
the US Corps of Engineers for all stream crossings.
Where crossings are necessary, careful planning could minimize adverse
effects. This includes scheduling crossing construction during the low-flow
condition, usually during late summer. Some project area waterways are
dry at that time and would be unlikely to transport sediment loads downstream.
Potentially erodible bank-cuts must be re-stabilized concurrently before a
storm event could again create flow conditions capable of transporting sediment
loads for substantial distances downstream. Where significant stream flow
would be encountered, such as in crossing the Lower Huron River, temporary
diversion channels with artificially stabilized banks or large culverts
should be used to minimize the potential for erosion.
Where soils are exposed by open-trench excavation, by clearing WWTP
sites, or at tunnel access areas, measures must be taken to minimize
erosion. The Michigan Erosion and Sedimentation Control Act of 1972 (Act
No. 347) and US-EPA's Program Requirements Memorandum 78-1(1977) establish
requirements for control of erosion and runoff from construction activities.
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6.3.2. Impacts of Induced Growth
The impacts from growth which may be induced by the provision of wastewater
facilities (as proposed in Alternatives A through D) in undeveloped parts
of the project area may be of more consequence than many of the direct project
impacts. Construction activities and the resulting urbanization of large
amounts of undeveloped land in the project area would impact air and water
quality, convert large amounts of undeveloped lands to developed uses, consume
resources, and change the socioeconomic character of the area (Fitzpatrick
and others 1973)-
Specific types of impacts which may be expected are listed in Table 34.
Because the level of secondary growth which may be induced by the implementa-
tion of any one of the alternatives is not quantifiable, it similarly is
not possible to quantify the extent of secondary impacts. Table 34 therefore
provides qualitative information indicating the relative levels of secondary
effects of each alternative.
6.4. Minimization of Adverse Impacts
There are a variety of legal requirements and other measures which are
intended to alleviate adverse impacts from projects such as the Huron Valley
Wastewater Control System. To the extent that these measures are applied,
many adverse impacts can be reduced significantly or eliminated. The follow-
ing sections discuss potential measures for alleviating construction,
operation, and secondary impacts.
6.4.1. Minimization of Construction Impacts
The majority of potential primary construction impacts, as discussed in
Section 6.1., relate to the construction of the regional interceptor proposed
in Alternatives A through D. Many of the potential measures to minimize
adverse effects discussed in the following section relate to interceptor
impacts. Most measures also are applicable to construction at WWTP sites,
such as the proposed regional WWTP in Alternatives A-l through D, or at
the smaller plants in Alternative E.
Fugitive dust at the construction sites described for each of the alter-
natives can be controlled through various techniques. Spoil-piles and
unpaved access roads can be wetted periodically to reduce dust; alternatively
spoil-piles can be covered with matting, mulch, etc. to reduce susceptibility
to wind-erosion.
Street sweeping at access sites would reduce loose dirt which is "tracked"
onto roadways by construction equipment. Trucks hauling spoil from tunnel
access sites could cover their loads to eliminate the escape of dust while
in transit to disposal sites.
Proper maintenance of construction equipment would minimize emissions of
hydrocarbons and fumes. Soil borings along the proposed interceptor right-
of-way (ROW) during the "Step II" design phase would identify organic soils
which have the potential to release odors when excavated. These areas should
be bypassed.
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6.3.1. Indirect and Induced Growth
Public sewer service has been identified as a major factor contributing
to the urbanization of an area (US-EPA 1975). In a review of current litera-
ture for US-EPA on the subject of secondary impacts of wastewater facilities,
Fitzpatrick and others (1978) quoted Binkley (1975), "No single factor can be
isolated as the cause of current land use practices...the role of interceptor
sewers must, therefore, be seen as contributory rather than decisive".
Furthermore, lack of public sewer investments does not necessarily stop further
development; if development pressures are intense, private sewerage systems
can become financially feasible (i.e., individual septic tanks, package
treatment plants). Thus, "development can continue unchecked without public
investment in sewer facilities, but the form, intensity, and rate of develop-
ment may be significantly altered" (US-EPA 1975). The report concluded that
the limited empirical analyses available suggest that sewerage systems cannot
always be isolated as instrumental causes of development. However, under a
set of limited conditions not uncommon today, they may serve as a "principal
stimulus" for localized development (Fitzpatrick and others 1978) .
"The national urban policy announced on March 27, 1978, identified
sewer construction in undeveloped areas on a major contributor to urban
problems. Under the policy, the Environmental Protection Agency must im-
plement its water and sewer programs in a manner which will discourage
wasteful sprawl.
Large sections of open, undeveloped land currently exist in the project
area, especially in the western tier of townships. Much of the project area,
with -the exception of Commerce and White Lake Townships, has excellent
highways and access to major airports. In addition, employment levels generally
have been higher in the project area than in nearby localities. These factors
seem to indicate that new sewerage facilities could have major impacts on
growth.
Statements presented by local officials of various project area communities
at public information meetings during the preparation of the EIS indicate
that strong competition for growth exists among project area communities.
Because many of these communities have similar prospects for growth, the
provision of differential sewer service among communities may provide a
competitive advantage.
It also is possible that new growth may bypass some communities, resulting
in a scattered pattern of development. The north-south orientation of the
interceptor in the western townships, combined with the similar alignment of
Interstate 275, may induce a long, narrow corridor of built-up land with
nodal development near highway interchanges.
Some sections of the project area, such as parts of White Lake, Commerce,
and Sumpter Townships have conditions which either are totally unacceptable
for utilization of septic systems or which would require a significant
investment by a homeowner (up to $5,000) to make such a system useable. In
such areas, growth would be limited altogether or constrained to larger
lot-sizes to accomodate septic tanks and drain fields unless sewer service
could be provided.
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6.2.2.5. Alternative D
This alternative would have impacts similar to those of Alternative C,
except in the Plymouth-Northville area. A summary of estimated costs and
debt is presented in Table 30. Novi, Northville, and Northville Township
all would have very small increases in per capita net debt (1% to 7%) —
substantially less than in Alternative C. Northville and Northville Township
would not have capacity in the new system and therefore would not have
annual O&M costs. Capital costs in those two communities would result from
construction incident to increased flows to the Rouge Valley Sewage Disposal
District. Plymouth and Plymouth Township would not require capacity in the
new system.
6.2.2.6. Alternative E
Alternative E would serve only limited sections of the project area.
Large segments of the population would not be provided with public waste-
water treatment service. Comparisons can be made only for communities served
by the upgraded and expanded existing facilities. Data are summarized in
Table 31.
Walled Lake would not require new capital expenditures and would not
incur new debt related to this alternative. Operation and maintenance of
the existing WWTP would be somewhat more expensive for Walled Lake and
significantly more costly for Novi than if they joined a regional system.
Projections of debt for the section of the project area which includes
Huron Township, Flat Rock, Rockwood, South Rockwood, Trenton, Woodhaven,
Gibraltar, and Brownstown indicate that amounts and percentages would be
somewhat smaller than for the previous five alternatives. Estimates of sewered
per capita charges would be larger for most communities.
6.3. Secondary Impacts
Secondary impacts potentially caused by the implementation of one of the
system alternatives would be the indirect or induced effects which would result
in related land use and socioeconomic changes. These changes may be manifested
by intensified population density and increased development in areas to be
served by the proposed sewerage facilities; an increased rate of migration
from the City of Detroit and its older suburbs to the project area; and
eventually, by increased commercial and industrial development. As these
changes occur, associated impacts would occur such as air and water pollution;
increased ambient noise levels; increased consumption of energy and other
resources; demand for expanded public infrastructure; conversion of agricultural
lands, wetlands, and environmentally sensitive areas to other uses;
decreased wildlife habitat; increases in employment and business activity;
and increased property values.
Implementation of any one of the regional sewerage proposals contained
in Alternatives A through D potentially could result in such changes in land
use and socioeconomic characteristics. Alternative E, conversely, would
constrain new development, limiting the potential for secondary impacts.
150
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be less than the average of $856 for project area communities. Commerce
Township would have a smaller increase in net debt per capita (36%) than would
result from Alternative A-2. The amount of net debt per capita ($566) and
net debt as a percentage of SEV would be less than average. Conditions in
Novi would be similar to those likely to result from Alternative A-2.
Plymouth and Plymouth Township would require capacity in the new system
and would have estimated annual average costs of $270,200 and $567,000, respec-
tively. Debt ratios and amounts for the two communities would be close to
the average value for the project area (11.0% and $856). Northville Township's
costs and debt would be slightly larger under Alternative B, but still
would be close to the average values for the overall project area.
The City of Northville would have a 17% increase in net debt per
capita. While this would be less than average, the per capita cost would
increase to $1,558. This would be the second largest amount of all communities
in the system. Net debt as a percentage of SEV would be 18.8%, largest in
the project area. Northville currently raises 36% of its general revenue
via property taxes. It would appear that careful consideration should be
given to the use of the tax base as support for the debt associated with
Alternative B.
General impacts and comments on the Townships of Huron, Sumpter, Van
Buren, and Brownstown would be similar to those for Alternative A-2. The
same would be true for Gibraltar, Flat Rock, and Rockwood. Debt data for
South Rockwood and Romulus were not calculated because of insufficiently
detailed information.
Belleville would experience a 33% increase in net debt per capita. The
new amount would be $476, one of the smallest values in the project area.
Net debt as a percentage of SEV would increase to 14.2%, which would exceed
the 10% limit for cities in the State of Michigan. This would require user
charges to offset a sufficient amount of general obligation debt to avoid
legal complications.
Estimates of annual sewered per capita costs required to pay for capital
and O&M are shown in Column 7 of Table 28. The costs would be largest in
Trenton and Gibraltar and smallest in South Rockwood, and Sumpter and Huron
Townships. The same limitations apply to the analysis of Alternative B as
were discussed in Section 6.2.2.
6.2.2.4. Alternative C
Impacts on community finances for Alternative C are summarized in Table 29.
Impacts on Canton Township, Trenton, Woodhaven, Walled Lake, and White Lake
Township would be similar to those of Alternative B. The percentage of
increase in net debt for Walled Lake, White Lake Township, and Commerce
Township would be reduced considerably. The effects on Novi and Northville
would be the same as those of Alternative B.
Conditions in the remaining townships and municipalities would be
similar to those resulting from implementation of Alternative B. Relative
per sewered capita costs would be similar to those of Alternative B.
149
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therefore are limited somewhat compared to the analyses of potential effects
on project area cities. Huron Township is the only township whose net debt
per capita ($1,208) is expected to be more than $1,000. Its net debt as a
percentage of SEV is 19.4%. (The 10% law does not apply to townships.) Huron
Township raises only 11% of its general revenue by property taxes, indicating a
minor reliance on the SEV tax base. This would tend to offset the projected
large ratio of net debt to SEV. Sumpter Township would have a larger than average
increase in net debt per capita (68%), but the total ($591) would be less
than average. Van Buren Township's projected net debt per capita and
percentage of increase are close to project area averages. Its net debt as
a percentage of SEV (14.5%) would be slightly larger than average. Brownstown
Township's figures for net debt per capita and percentage increase are some-
what less than average, while its net debt/SEV ratio is slightly larger than
average. The townships generally would not appear to demonstrate serious
financial problems resulting from implementation of Alternative A-2.
Gibraltar and Flat Rock would have net debts per capita of about $1,000,
increases of 25% and 30%, respectively. Net debt as a percentage of SEV is
projected to be 9.1% and 6.5%, respectively, for the two communities. These
percentages are less than project area averages. Income growth has been high
for these two communities in comparison with other project area jurisdictions
—a positive economic indicator.
Rockwood's net debt per capita is projected to remain low—less than
$650. It would have to offset some of its general obligation debt with user
charges to maintain a net debt/SEV ratio of less than 10%. Data for South
Rockwood are incomplete and debt calculations were not made.
Belleville would not be a system participant. The small section of
Romulus included in the project area would have one of the smallest average
annual community costs because of the small amount of capacity required.
Debt data were not calculated because of insufficient information.
The estimated annual sewered per capita costs required to pay for amortized
capital costs and O&M are presented in Table 27. Gibraltar and Trenton would
have the largest charges, and Commerce Township also would have an elevated
rate ($37 per capita). Lowest rates probably would occur in South Rockwood,
and Northville, Sumpter, and Huron Townships.
6.2.2.3. Alternative B
The financial effects of Alternative B are summarized in Table 28. Canton
Township and Trenton again would have the largest annual community costs and
the same general comments would apply as those presented in Section 6.2.2.2.
Woodhaven's net debt per capita would increase to $2,328—the largest in
the project area. Impacts on this community would be similar to those of
Alternative A-2.
The effects of Alternative B on Walled Lake also would be similar to
those of Alternative A-2. Data on debt for Wolverine Lake were not available
and no analyses were made. White Lake Township would experience a substantial
increase in net debt per capita (52%), but the resulting amount ($593) would
148
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6.2.2.2. Alternative A-2
The effects of this alternative vary widely from community to community
(Table 27). The highest estimated annual community costs would occur in
Canton Township and Trenton. Although Canton Township would experience a
slightly larger than average increase in net debt per capita (38%), it
appears that figures for net debt per capita and net debt as a percentage
of SEV would remain less than the average values for other project area
communities ($943 and 11.4%).
The projected net debt per capita ($1,181) resulting from Trenton's
participation in Alternative A-2 is not disproportionate for an economically-
strong community and the net debt as a percentage of SEV (7.4%) also is
relatively small. Because Trenton obtains a large percentage of its general
revenue via property taxes (69%), it probably would be undesirable to depend
on the tax base to finance Trenton's share of the project's capital costs.
Woodhaven's potential economic weakness was discussed in Section 3.1.5.
The 1977 net debt per capita was $2,255, a substantially large amount according
to Moak and Hillhouse (1975). Although the change in net debt per capita
is small (+3%), Woodhaven's projected net debt per capita of $2,402 would be
the largest in the project area. Alternative A-2 would increase the net debt
as a percentage of SEV to 18.9% for Woodhaven, a value considerably in excess
of the legal limit of 10% for cities in the State of Michigan. A legal
problem, however, may not be created if a sufficient amount of the general
obligation debt is offset by user charges. Woodhaven is not the only community
which is projected to exceed the 10% legal limit for cities (e.g., Novi and
Rockwood), but the margin by which it does so indicates a need for careful
consideration of Woodhaven's position.
Walled Lake would experience the largest increase in net debt per capita
(93%), but the resulting dollar level ($516) is considerably less than the
project area average of $943 which is projected to result from implementation
of Alternative A-2. Commerce Township also would have a substantial percentage
increase (71%). The new level of per capita indebtedness ($714) is not
especially high and is less than the average for project area communities.
Neighboring Wolverine Lake Village and White Lake Township would not partici-
pate in Alternative A-2 and their financial situations are not analyzed.
Novi would experience a 15% increase in net debt per capita, with a pro-
jected 1980 figure of $1,007. This is slightly larger than the project area
average but would not be excessive given Novi's apparent economic soundness
(Section 3.1.5.). The anticipated 1980 net debt as a percentage of SEV (13.4)
exceeds the 10% statutory limitation but could be offset by user charges.
Northville, Plymouth, and Plymouth Township would not require capacity
in the new system by 1995 and would not be affected directly. Northville
Township would participate and would experience a 7% increase in net debt
per capita, with a 1980 estimated figure of $726. This would be slightly
less than the project area average.
Basic data on many of the townships are incomplete (Section 3.1.5.).
The discussions of the financial effects of Alternative A-2 on townships
147
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Table 33. Comparison of the costs of Alternatives A-l through E for the
Huron Valley Wastewater Control System, Michigan. Ranks
were assigned in each category as follows: 1 = most expensive
alternative; 2 = next most expensive alternative; 3 = next most
expensive alternative; 4 = next most expensive alternative; 5 -
next most expensive alternative; and 6 = least expensive alternative.
ALTERNATIVE
Category A-l A-2 B C D E
Community Share of Total 1 4 2356
Local Capital Costs
Average Annual Cost of 142356
Amortization
Community Share of
Average Annual Operation 2 5 3146
and Maintenance Costs
Total Average Annual 2 5 3^46
Community Costs
Total Community Costs for 2 5 3146
the 20-Year Period
Estimated 1985 Average NC 34251
Annual Costs Per Capita
Estimated Average Annual
Costs Per Capita, Peak-Year NC 34251
of Sewered Population
Estimated 1980 Net Debt NC 2 3 4.5 4.5 1
Per Capita
Estimated Increase in Net NC I 2345
Debt Per Capita, 1977-1980
Estimated Net Debt as a
Percentage of State Equalized NC 13533
Valuation (SEV)
NC = Not Comparable
146
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A discussion of additional costs which are not reflected directly in
capital expenditures and O&M was presented in Section 5. The inherent
dissimilarities in these additional costs are important considerations when
the alternatives are ranked based on direct costs. The analyses do not include
such costs as abandonment of existing facilities, continued usage of the
Rouge Valley and Downriver Disposal Systems, and the costs of new local sewers
discussed in Section 5.3. The presentation is a relative comparison based
on the best available information and estimates of expenditures, debt, and
population.
As an example, based on the "Facility Planning Study for Sumpter Township"
(Wade, Trim & Associates, Inc. 1977), total annual local costs for a new col-
lection system in Sumpter Township would approach $0.9 million. This would cause
Sumpter Township's total local share to approach $1.1 to $1.3 million annually
if Alternatives A, B, C, or D were built. Users of potential new collection
systems in White Lake and Commerce Townships, Wolverine Lake Village, and the un-
sewered parts of Novi, and the Townships of Northville, Plymouth, Canton, Van
Buren, Huron, and Brownstown also would bear such costs. Communities in the
urban, southern section of the project area already are developed to a great ex-
tent and have collection systems which generally are adequate to serve new
growth. These communities thus would not have this additional financial burden.
An overall comparison of the costs of Alternatives A-2 through E is
presented in Table 33. For each category, alternatives were ranked from 1
(highest cost) to 6 (lowest cost). If alternatives had the same costs, the
sum of the appropriate ranks was divided equally between or among the alternatives.
Composite ranking revealed Alternative C to be the most costly of the five
alternatives, followed by Alternatives B, A-2, E, and D in descending order
of expense. Alternative A-l can not be compared directly in this manner
because of the dissimilar population served, but ranks highest of the six
alternatives in total cost.
A detailed discussion of the ramifications of the respective local costs
for the various alternatives is presented in the following sections.
6.2.2.1. Alternative A-l.
Alternative A-l has the largest total local cost of the various alternatives
(Table 26). Commerce Township, Novi, Northville Township, Plymouth Township,
Canton Township, Van Buren Township, and Trenton would have the highest annual
costs because of their large capacity allocations. Trenton's $11.8 million
annual share represents the largest local cost. Its $32 per sewered resident
cost is also among the highest, along with Northville ($34) and Gibraltar
($32). Trenton, however, appears to have a sound financial status (Section 3.1.5.)
The lowest annual costs would be among the smallest users of the system:
Romulus, Rockwood, and South Rockwood. These communities also have the lowest
costs per sewered resident among the various participating communities.
145
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of wastewater treatment facilities by industries. To recoup these costs,
communities which receive sewage system grants are required to establish
an industrial cost recovery (ICR) system. Communities in the project area
typically have not taken steps to levy charges on industrial users.
Under the requirements of the Clean Water Act (PL 95-217) and subsequent
US-EPA regulations (40 CFR 35.905-6), industrial users which discharge 25,000
gallons per day or more of sanitary waste and/or process waste to the new
system would be required to pay the full share of capital costs for the
conveyance system and WWTP which they would utilize. They also must pay the
associated share of annual O&M costs. No estimate of what this share would
be is available. The local cost to individual users in communities would
be lessened in proportion to the amount that industrial users pay.
The estimated per capita costs for each alternative are in Column 6
of Tables 26 through 31. The figures reflect annual costs based on the
total projected 1985 population (the average situation) for each community
for Alternatives A-2 through E. Per capita costs were not prepared for
Alternative A-l because 1985 population projections are not available in the
Facility Plan. In the case of Alternatives A-2 through E, the figures show
the relative amount that each citizen in a community would pay for the system
if everyone were to share the costs (included for comparative purposes only).
Column 6 of Table 26, and column 7 of Tables 27 through 31 present the
estimated average annual per capita costs for Alternatives A-l through E
based on peak-sewered population. In actuality, costs for each community
would be borne only by residents who are provided sewer service, rather than
by the total population. The peak year of sewered population is projected
to vary from one community to another. Larger numbers of users than projected
would tend to lower the figures somewhat, while lesser numbers would increase
the per capita costs.
The last three columns (Columns 8, 9, and 10 of Tables 27 through 31)
summarize the estimated impacts on the future debt situation of project area
communities. (Equivalent values could not be produced for Alternative A-l
because of the population projection utilized.) The figures indicate
expected changes in net debt per capita and in net debt as a percentage of
SEV if a specific alternative is adopted. Net debt with full faith and credit
pledge is calculated without taking into account that user charges probably
would be used to pay most of the debt without resort to the tax base which
supports the debt. Net debt is overstated somewhat because not all offsetting
funds have been identified, such as user charges for sewer systems (Section
3.1.5.).
The alternatives vary considerably in terms of the populations which they
serve. Alternatives B, C, and D would provide essentially all sections of
the project area with wastewater treatment service. Alternative A serves a
smaller area — capacity is not provided for White Lake Township or Wolverine
Lake Village. Alternative E only provides sewerage to limited areas. It is
not possible, therefore, to make definitive comparisons of the alternatives
based on the data in Tables 26 through 31.
144
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bonds to finance the local share at an annual interest rate of 7.5% for a 25-year
payment period. The communities would be responsible for reimbursing the county
management agency annually through collection of user charges or possibly by the
sale of local bonds (Section 6.2.2.).
6.2. Operation Impacts
6.2.1. Impacts on the Natural and Man-Made Environment
Operation of the regional WWTP proposed in Alternatives A through D, the
expanded Walled Lake WWTP as proposed in Alternatives C and D, or the five
upgraded and expanded WWTPs plus the continued operation of the existing Walled
Lake WWTP as proposed in Alternative E, would create similar impacts. The most
significant effects would be the improvement in effluent quality and the elimi-
nation of wide-spread reliance on septic tanks. Both would improve surface
water quality. Primary, operational impacts associated with each system al-
ternative are summarized in Table 32. Impacts are quantified where possible.
Operation and maintenance costs for each system alternative are discussed in
the following sections.
6.2.2. Impacts on Local Public Finance
The estimated annual operation and maintenance (O&M) costs for system
alternatives are allocated to each participating community in Column 3 of
Tables 26 through 31. Local interests must pay 100% of the total annual
proportionate utilization of the system. O&M costs were assumed to be
constant over the 20-year analysis period.
The combined annual community cost (capital debt retirement plus O&M)
is shown in Column 4 of Tables 26 through 31. Total community costs over
the 20-year period are listed in Column 5 of the tables.
The importance of two measures of a community's financial condition, the
net debt per capita and the net debt as a percentage of state equalized
valuation (SEV), was discussed in Section 3.1.5. Evaluated against the
background of the community's general economic condition, these measures
may be used to estimate the capacity for taking on new debt. To estimate these
parameters for 1980 it is assumed that the ratios reported for 1977 (Section
3.1.5.) will remain the same during the period from 1977 to 1980. Net debt
and SEV are assumed to change in proportion to population. Each community's
local share of capital cost is treated as additional debt incurred in 1980
and the ratios are recomputed. It is assumed that the population estimates
presented in Section 3.1.5. are reached in 1980. No attempt has been made to
forecast changes in costs during the planning period. Constant relative
prices are assumed. This ignores the effects of inflation which will influence
future costs.
Subsequent sections discuss financial impacts based on assumptions that
costs would be borne either by the entire community population or only by
its users. This neglects the fact that a part of O&M costs result from use
138
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6.0. IMPACTS OF ALTERNATIVES
The following sections discuss the potential major impacts associated
with the system alternatives described in Section 5.3. Primary impacts
resulting from construction (Section 6.1.) and operation (Section 6.3.) of
facilities are presented. Secondary impacts, those effects induced or
created indirectly by the implementation of an alternative, are discussed in
Section 6.3. Many of the potentially adverse impacts may be reduced or
eliminated by various techniques discussed in Section 6.4.
6.1. Construction Impacts
6.1.1. Impacts on the Natural and Man-Made Environment
The construction of a regional interceptor sewer and WWTP in the project
area as proposed in Alternatives A through D or expansion of existing WWTPs
as proposed in Alternative E would affect various aspects of the existing
environmental setting to different degrees. The excavation of trenches and
tunneling for the interceptors proposed in Alternatives A through D would
produce the most significant primary impacts. They include: generation
of fugitive dust and noise, destruction of vegetation, disturbance of wetlands
and animals, increased sediment loads to watercourses, groundwater drawdowns,
temporary interruption of transportation routes, and impairment of aesthetics
along the proposed interceptor corridor. The project would entail the
commitment of significant quantities of resources, including public
sector capital, energy, land, and materials. A significant number of new
construction jobs would be created.
Major primary construction impacts at the new regional WWTP site in
Brownstown Township (proposed in Alternatives A through D), at the expanded
Walled Lake WWTP (proposed in Alternatives C and D), or at the sites of the
five existing WWTPs (Alternative E) would be similar. They include production
of fugitive dust and noise; increased sediment loads to watercourses; localized
impairment of aesthetics; commitment of significant amounts of capital, energy,
and materials; and creation of new construction oriented jobs.
The physical, biological, and social impacts of the system alternatives
are compared in Table 25. The effects are quantified where possible. The
finanacial impact of each system alternative is presented separately in the
following section.
6.1.2. Impacts on Local Public Finance
Twenty percent of the total project capital cost must be funded by local
participants. This cost would be allocated based on the proportion of inter-
ceptor system and treatment plant capacity utilized by or reserved by each
community.
Estimated allocations of total local capital costs among the communities
which would participate in each alternative are presented in the first column
of Tables 26 through 31. The second column indicates the estimated equivalent
average annual cost to each community assuming that Wayne County would secure
125
-------
Table 24. Estimated system cost for Alternative E.
Cost in Dollars (x 1,000)
Capital1 Salvage2Average Annual O&M'
A. Wastewater Treatment Plant
Flat Rock 10,200 2,000 665
Rockwood 205 41 200
City of Trenton 190 38 840
Wayne County-Trenton 12,645 2,529 838
Brownstown Township 2,114 423 200
Walled Lake 0 0 200
Total 25,354 5,031 2,943
B. Interest During Construction 1,680
(2 years)
C. Total Capital Cost 27,034
D- Less Present Worth of Salvage Value -1,395
E. Net Capital Cost 25,639
F. Present Worth of O&M 32,093
Total Present Worth 57,732
G- Estimated Total Average Annual 5,294
Equivalent Cost
H. Cost per 1,000 gallons = $0.78
-^Includes Service Factor; WWTP costs derived from US-EPA (1978).
2
Assumes 40-year life for interceptor and structures, 20-year life on equipment,
and straight-line depreciation.
3Based on cost information in Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. (1976), adjusted to
January 1978 price levels. 1985 flow estimates were utilized to provide an
average operation condition.
124
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Average Annual
Cost ($ x 1,000)
-Plymouth ($260,000 for 25 years at 7.5%)
-Plymouth Township ($400,000 for 25 years
at 7.5%)
-Canton Township ($560,000 for 25 years
at 7.5%)
-Van Buren Township ($460,000 for 25 years
at 7.5%)
(4) Estimated cost for new septic tanks
(5) Estimated maintenance cost for septic tanks
(Existing and new which would be replaced
by sewers in other alternatives)
(6) New local collection sewers for expansion of
existing sewer service areas
Total
23
36
50
41
663
1,183
Unknown
3,819
123
-------
Sludge production at each of the plants is projected to be:
Tons/Day
WWTP (Dry Weight)
Walled Lake 1
Flat Rock 4
Rockwood 1
Wayne County-Trenton 6
City of Trenton 6
Brownstown Township 1
Sludge processing and disposal methods would vary. The Walled Lake WWTP
would continue to use aerobic digestion, sludge drying beds, and final
disposal on land as soil conditioner. The expanded Flat Rock WWTP could
use its own incineration, as costed, or possibly continue to transport
its sludge to the Wyandotte WWTP for dewatering and incineration. This
would depend on Wayne County-Trenton incinerating its own sludge instead
of transporting it to Wyandotte. Ash production from incinerated sludge
from the Flat Rock WWTP would average less then 1.0 ton per day, and just
over 1.0 ton per day from the Wayne County-Trenton WWTP. Sludge from the
Rockwood WWTP could continue to be incinerated at the Wyandotte WWTP,
resulting in an average of several hundred pounds of ash per day. Continued
incineration of sludge from the City of Trenton WWTP would continue to
generate an average of more than 1.0 ton of ash per day. Sludge from the
aerobic digestion process at the new Brownstown Township WWTP could be
disposed of at a landfill. Alternatively the sludge could be dewatered on
sand beds with disposal at a landfill.
5.3.5.2. Construction and Operation Costs
The new construction and operation costs for upgrading and expanding
the six WWTPs are shown in Table 24. Because these costs only reflect
continued wastewater disposal for project area communities in the service
areas of these six WWTPs, costs for continued disposal in other communities
also must be addressed. This includes the costs incurred by communities
continuing to utilize the RVSDD, DD and septic tanks. These costs are
as follows:
Average Annual
Cost ($ x 1,000)
(1) Continued use of RVSDD
-Treatment of an average 12.3 mgd
at the Detroit WWTP 1,400
-Principal and Interest on 47.58 cfs
capacity in RVSDD 101
(2) Continued use of DD
-Treatment of an average 2.0 mgd
at the Wyandotte WWTP . 255
-Principal and Interest on 8.0 cfs
capacity in DD 33
(3) Estimated cost for flow equalization in
RVSDD and DD
-Northville Township ($380,000 for 25
years at 7.5%) 34
122
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Table 23. Existing and projected capacities of the six project area WWTPs.
Required
Existing Required Type of Approximate Land Area
WWTP Capacity (mgd) Capacity (mgd) Treatment Required (acres)
Flat Rock
2
Rockwood
City of Trenton
Wayne County-Trenton
Southeast Brownstown
Walled Lake
1
1
3
5
2
0
1
.0
.0
.6
.5
.4
.18
.5
(primary)
(secondary)
(primary
only)
(lagoons)
4
0
5
6
0
0
.6
.8
.5
.1
.9
.8
Tertiary
Tertiary
Secondary
Secondary
Tertiary
Tertiary
5.
0.
0.
0.
0.
0.
oi
0
0
0
0
0
WWTP = Wastewater treatment plant
mgd = millions of gallons per day
The existing Flat Rock WWTP is surrounded by developed residential property and
the Huron River floodplain, which would make expansion difficult.
9
Includes South Rockwood.
121
-------
Table 22. Potential future flows from project area communities to the Rouge
Valley Sewage Disposal District and the Downriver District.
Community
Additional
Estimated 1976 Projected 1995 Contract Capacity
Peak Flow1(cfs) Peak Flow2 (cfs) Capacity (cfs) Needed (cfs)
A. Rouge Valley District
Novi 3.08
Northville 4.47
Northville Twp. 7.37
(includes Insti-
tutions)
Plymouth 7.15
Plymouth Twp. 14.26
Canton Twp. 13.31
Van Buren Twp. 0.57
(northern one-
third)
Total 50.21
B. Downriver District
Belleville 2.03
Van Buren Twp. 3.87
(remainder)
Total 5.90
6.40
2.36
11.04
4.98
11.57
24.16
3.24
63.75
1.90
14.36
16.26
4.00
3.60
8.01^
4.80
9.60
14.37
3.20
47.58
2.8
5.2
8.0
0.0J
0.0
3.03
0.18
1.97
9.79
0.04
15.01
0.0
9.16
9.16
cfs = cubic feet per second
Twp. = Township
See Section 3.4.2.
**\
Assumes cost-effective I/I will be removed and projected increases in sewered population
-3
Novi already utilizes flow equalization which is assumed to be capable of
"smoothing" projected 1995 flow of 6.4 cfs to 4.0 cfs.
4includes 5.41 cfs owned by public institutions.
120
-------
Table 21. Estimated 1995 population served by expanded and upgraded existing
project area wastewater treatment plants.
Estimated 1995
Wastewater Treatment Plant Population Served
Flat Rock1 31,200
Rockwood2 6,400
Wayne County-Trenton3 41,050
City of Trenton 22,150
Brownstown Township 6,800
Walled Lake5 7,900
Total 115,500
Includes service for Huron Township.
2 Includes service for South Rockwood.
3 Includes service for central Brownstown Township, Woodhaven, and Gibraltar.
4 Includes service only for southeast Brownstown Township.
5 Includes service for northern Novi.
119
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Walled Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
Flat Rock WWTP B^O
Rockwood WWTP
Brownstown Wastewater Stabilization Lagoons
City of Trenton WWTP
Wayne County Trenton WWTP
Figure 12. Alternative E; locations of existing wastewater treatment facilities
are indicated by numbers 1 through 6. The Huron Valley project area is
delineated by the heavy black line.
118
-------
5.3.5. Alternative E
5.3.5.1. Components
This alternative includes upgrading and expanding the five existing
WWTPs in the southeast part of the project area and the continued operation
of the existing Walled Lake WWTP (Figure 12) . The projected 1995 population
served by these systems is shown in Table 21. No new interceptors would be
constructed. The capacities contracted in the Rouge Valley Sewage Disposal
District (RVSDD) and Downriver District (DD) by the Cities of Novi, Plymouth,
Northville, and Belleville, and the Townships of Northville, Plymouth, Canton,
and Van Buren would continue to be utilized. Growth in areas of these
communities which are not sewered presently would be limited. Only growth
which would be accommodated through the implementation of system flow reducing
measures (such as I/I reduction or flow equalization) could be provided
service. Continued reliance on septic disposal systems would allow some
growth. Alternative E offers no wastewater disposal solution for Sumpter,
Commerce, or White Lake Townships; instead, these communities would continue
to rely on septic disposal systems or on some other local solution. Thus, this
alternative would not provide public wastewater treatment for the projected
1995 project area population.
With the removal of cost-effective I/I from existing collection systems,
increased flows generated by some new sewer service in the communities served
by the RVSDD and DD could be accommodated. Table 22..compares estimated
existing flows in these communities with estimated flows by the year 1995—
once cost-effectively removable I/I has been eliminated. This, in turn,
is compared with the existing contract capacities. The final column
indicates the amount of additional peak capacity in an interceptor system
which would be needed if those residents which were projected to have
sewer service in Alternatives B, C, and D also were served under this
alternative. If flow equalization basins were constructed by these
communities, the projected sewered population served in the other alternatives
could probably be served until 1995. This only would provide an interim
solution. In addition, Sumpter, Commerce, and White Lake Townships still
would not have access to a treatment system, it is probable that implementation
of Alternative E would result in the eventual need for and construction of an
undetermined number of additional small, local WWTPs. These facilities would
be needed to alleviate existing and future wastewater management problems in
sections of the project area not served by Alternative E, especially Sumpter
Township.
To meet the needs of projected growth in existing service areas and the
treatment plant effluent requirements (Section 5.2.4.), the five existing
WWTPs serving the southeastern part of the project area would require expansion
and upgrading. The treatment processes selected for each were discussed in
Section 5.2.3. A comparison between the existing WWTP size and the projected
expanded size is shown in Table 23. Additional land required for plant ex-
pansion also is shown. The Walled Lake WWTP is projected to have adequate
capacity to meet the needs of its service area through 1995.
117
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Table 20. Estimated system cost for Alternative D (concluded).
Part 3. Summary (concluded).
Cost in Dollars
(x 1,000)
D. Total Present Worth of System O&M 44,001
E. Total Present Worth of System 186,752
F. Estimated Total Average Annual 17,125
Equivalent Cost of System
G. Overall Cost per 1,000 gallons = $1.27
Interceptor and outfall sewer unit costs are based on Hubbell, Roth & Clark,
Inc. (1976); WWTP costs derived from US-EPA (1978).
2
Assumes 40-year life for interceptor and structures, 20-year life on equipment,
and straight- line depreciation.
Based on cost information in Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. (1976) , adjusted to
January 1978 price levels. 1985 flow estimates were utilized to provide an
average operational condition.
not include cost of extending interceptor 3.0 miles to Joy Road as
discussed in Section 5.3.4.1.
116
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Table 20. Estimated system cost for Alternative D.
Part 1. Walled Lake System (Table 19).
Part 2. Huron Valley Regional System.
Cost in Dollars (x 1,000)
Capital •*- Salvage^ Average Annual
A. Interceptor (by segment)
Middle Rouge Supplement 854 427
Hannan Road 14,9814 7,4904
Lower Huron 18,356 9,178
Van Buren-Sumpter Arm 3,810 1,905
(includes Sumpter Connection)
Trenton Arm 1,382 691
Trenton Pump Station 1,500 300 123
B. Treatment
32 mgd WWTP 49,183 9,837 3,190
10,000-foot outfall sewer 5,810 2,905
Total 95,876 32,733 3,313
C. Service Factor (25%) - Engineering, 23,969
Administrative, Legal, and
Contingencies
119,845
D. Interest During Construction 11,910
(3 years)
E. Total Capital Cost 131,755
P. Less Present Worth of Salvage Value -9,074
G. Net Capital Cost 122,681
H. Present Worth of O&M 36,128
Total Present Worth 158,809
I. Estimated Total Average Annual 14,563
Equivalent Cost
j. Cost per 1,000 gallons = $1.25
Part 3. Summary (Part 1 plus Part 2).
Cost in Dollars
(x 1,000)
A. Total Capital Cost (includes Service 153,528
Factor and Interest) of System
B. Less Present Worth of System Salvage -10,777
C. Net Capital Cost of System 142,751
115
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to convey flows from northeastern Canton Township to the central part via a
new local trunk sewer. In this case, the Hannan Road segment of the interceptor
would be needed as far north as Joy Road.) This would allow the 10.1 cfs
owned by Canton (6.9 cfs) and Van Buren (3.2 cfs) Townships in the Lower
Rouge Interceptor, and the 8.0 cfs of capacity owned by Van Buren Township
(5.2 cfs) and Belleville (2.8 cfs) in the Downriver Interceptor to be sold
to eastern (downstream) communities in the RVSDD and DD.
Alternative D would serve the same sewered-area population as Alternatives
B and C. The flow reduction option of reducing I/I where cost-effective and
the industrial pretreatment option to reduce wasteloads have been assumed.
The interceptor route, regional plant site, treatment processes, and methods
of effluent and sludge disposal are the same as described for previous
alternatives. The five existing WWTPs in the southeast part of the project
area would be abandoned and replaced by the new regional WWTP.
The regional system serving the southern half of the project area would
require a 32 mgd plant. Total sludge production is estimated to be 26 tons
per day (dry weight basis). After incineration, 5 tons per day of ash would
require disposal. A landfill site has not been specified. The 4.8 mgd
Walled Lake WWTP, as discussed for Alternative C, would generate 9 tons
per day of sludge, which would result in about 2 tons per day of ash if
incineration is used.
5.3.4.2. Construction and Operation Costs
Total new construction and operation cost estimates for Alternative D
are presented in Table 20. The costs for the northern interceptor system
and for expanding and upgrading the Walled Lake WWTP (Table 19) are summarized
in Table 20. Other costs, such as the continued utilization of the RVSDD,
must be considered to ensure an equitable comparison among alternatives .
They are presented below:
Average Annual
Cost ($ x 1,000)
(1) Continued use of RVSDD
-Cost of treating an average 9.1
mgd at the Detroit WWTP 1,036
-Principal and interest share for
continued use of Middle Rouge
Interceptor and abandonment of
Canton-Van Buren Township share
in Lower Rouge Interceptor 101
(2) Cost of abandoning 5 WWTPs (see
Section 5.3.1.1.2. for details) 22
(3) New local collection sewers Unknown
1,159
114
-------
o
Figure 11. Alternative D; the conceptual routes of the proposed interceptor
sewers are shown by the dotted lines. The Huron Valley project
area is delineated by the heavy black line.
113
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Table 19- Estimated system cost for Alternative C (concluded).
Part 2: Huron Valley Regional System (concluded).
Cost in Dollars (x 1,000)
Capitall Salvage^ Average Annual O&M3
C. Service Factor (25%) - Engineering, 30,296
Administrative, Legal, and
Contingencies
151,480
D. Interest During Construction 15,053
(3 years)
E. Total Capital Cost 166,533
F. Less Present Worth of Salvage Value -11,228
G. Net Capital Cost 155,305
H. Present Worth of O&M 44,961
Total Present Worth 200,266
I- Estimated Total Average Annual 18,364
Equivalent Cost
J. Cost per 1,000 gallons = $1.17
Part 3. Summary (Part 1 plus Part 2).
Cost in Dollars
(x 1,000)
A. Total Capital Cost (includes Service 188,306
Factor and Interest)of System
B. Less Present Worth of System Salvage -12,931
C. Net Capital Cost of System 175,375
D. Total Present Worth of System O&M 52,835
E. Total Present Worth of System 228,210
F. Estimated Total Average Annual 20,927
Equivalent Cost of System
G. Overall Cost per 1,000 gallons = $1.20
Interceptor and outfall sewer unit costs are based on Hubbell, Roth & Clark,
Inc. (1976); WWTP costs deriyed from US-EPA (1978).
o
Assumes 40-year life for interceptor and structures, 20-year life on equipment,
and straight-line depreciation.
3Based on cost information in Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. (1976), adjusted to
January 1978 price levels. 1985 flow estimates were utilized to provide an average
operational condition.
112
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Table 19. Estimated system cost for Alternative C.
Part 1: Walled Lake System.
Cost in Dollars (x 1,000)
Capital-*- Salvage^Average Annual
A. Interceptor 9,590 4,795
B. Treatment-4.8 mgd WWTP 6,746 1,349 722
Total 16,336 6,144 722
C. Service Factor (25%) - Engineering, 4,084
Administrative, Legal, and
Contingencies
20,420
D. Interest During Construction 1,353
(2 years)
E. Total Capital Cost 21,773
F. Less Present Worth of Salvage Value -1,703
G. Net Capital Cost 20,070
H. Present Worth of O&M 7,873
Total Present Worth 27,943
I. Estimated Total Average Annual 2,562
Equivalent Cost
J. Cost per 1,000 gallons = $1.46
Part 2: Huron Valley Regional System.
Cost in Dollars (x 1,000)
CapitalSalvageAverage Annual O&M~
A. Interceptor (by segment)
North Arm 854 427
Hannan Road 21,411 10,706
Lower Huron 20,963 10,481
Van Buren-Sumpter Arm 3,810 1,905
(includes Sumpter Connection)
Trenton Arm 1,382 691
Trenton Pump Station 1,500 300 123
B. Treatment
43 mgd WWTP 65,454 13,091 4,000
10,000-foot outfall sewer 5,810 2,905
Total 121,184 40,506 4,123
111
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The Walled Lake WWTP would be expanded from its existing 1.5 mgd capacity
to 4.8 mgd. Treatment process options include expanding the flow equalization,
pretreatment, primary sedimentation, and conventional secondary activated
sludge systems, and addition of a two-stage lime treatment system to remove
as much as 98% of influent phosphorus. The existing tertiary multi-media
filtration system also would be expanded. Disinfection would be accomplished
by an expanded chlorination system prior to discharge of the effluent to the
Walled Lake Branch of the Middle River Rouge. Sludge generated during the
treatment process would average about 9 tons per day (dry weight basis), of
which 6 tons would be chemical sludge. For purposes of costing, vacuum
filtration and incineration were assumed. Land disposal of dewatered sludge,
however, may be a viable option at a lower cost if suitable land areas could
be located. Ash produced by an incineration process would average 2 tons
per day and would require disposal at an unspecified landfill.
The proposed regional WWTP would utilize the same site in Brownstown
Township and the same treatment processes and method of effluent disposal as
previously discussed. It would have capacity to treat 43 mgd of wastewater
and would generate 35 tons of sludge per day. After incineration, about 7
tons per day of ash would remain. The ash would be deposited at an unspecified
landfill.
5.3.3.2. Construction and Operation Costs
The total estimated construction and operation costs for Alternative C
are presented in Table 19. The cost of retiring the remaining debt on the
abandoned WWTPs would be approximately $22,000 per year for the next 20
years (Section 5.3.1.1.2.). There would be significant costs for the new
local collection systems proposed for areas to be served by this alternative.
The amount of such costs is unknown.
5.3.4. Alternative D
5.3.4.1. Components
Alternative D incorporates the same wastewater management system for the
northern communities as presented in Alternative C . The total
capacity owned by project area communities in the Middle Rouge Interceptor
(37.48 cfs) would continue to be used by Novi, Northville, Northville
Township, Plymouth and Plymouth Township. Adequate capacity for projected
increases in flow from these communities would be provided by each
obtaining a share of the 7.47 cfs capacity owned by Canton Township in the
Middle Rouge Interceptor, and through the construction of 10,000 feet of
parallel sewer in the Phoenix Lake vicinity to increase the capacity of the
existing Middle Rouge Interceptor, as discussed for Alternative C. (The
projected 1995 peak flow generated by these communities would require 35.21
cfs of interceptor capacity which is 2.27 cfs less than presently available
with Canton Township's share added in.) The Huron Valley Interceptor, there-
fore, would be needed only as far north as Canton Township (26.4 miles in
length, Figure 11) to intercept Canton Township flows and all flows generated
in the remainder of the project area to the south. (It may not be cost effective
110
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Figure 10. Alternative C; the conceptual routes of the proposed interceptor
sewers are shown by the dotted lines. The Huron Valley project
area is delineated by the heavy black line.
109
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Table 18. Estimated system cost for Alternative B.
Cost in Dollars (x 1,000)
Capital*SalvagedAverage Annual OSM3
A. Interceptor (by segment)
North Arm 17,485 8,742
Hannan Road 24,239 12,112
Lower Huron 23,492 11,746
Van Buren-Sumpter Arm 3,810 1,905
(includes Sumpter Connection)
Trenton Arm 1,382 691
Trenton Pump Station 1,500 300 123
B. Treatment
47.4 mgd WWTP 71,560 14,312 4,320
10,000-foot outfall sewer 5,810 2,905
Total 149,278 52,713 4,443
C. Service Factor (25%) - Engineering, 37,320
Administrative, Legal, and
Contingencies
186,598
D. Interest During Construction 18,543
(3 years)
E. Total Capital Cost 205,141
F- Less Present Worth of Salvage Value -14,612
G. Net Capital Cost 190,529
H. Present Worth of O&M 48,451
Total Present Worth 238,980
I. Estimated Total Average Annual 21,914
Equivalent Cost
J. Cost per 1,000 gallons = $1.27
Interceptor and outfall sewer unit costs are based on Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc.
(1976); WWTP costs derived from US-EPA (1978).
2Assumes 40-year life for interceptor and structures, 20-year life on equipment,
and straight-line depreciation.
Based on cost information in Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. (1976), adjusted to
January 1978 price levels. 1985 flow estimates were utilized to provide an
average operational condition.
108
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manner as proposed in Alternative A. The parallel sewer required to
increase the capacity of the segment of the existing Middle Rouge Interceptor
from Northville to Plymouth would need to be somewhat larger. Similarly,
the Hannan Road and Lower Huron River segments of the proposed regional
interceptor would be larger. The same flow and wasteload reduction options
assumed for Alternative A have been assumed.
Alternative B would use the same regional WWTP site in southeastern
Brownstown Township. The capacity of the plant, however, would be 47.4 mgd.
Treatment processes and method of effluent discharge would be the same as
for Alternative A. Total sludge generated by the various treatment
processes would average 37 tons per day. After incineration, about 6 tons
per day of residual ash would require disposal at an unspecified landfill.
5.3.2.2. Construction and Operation Costs
The total estimated captial costs for construction of new facilities
proposed in this alternative, the estimated salvage value after 20 years
of use, and the estimated average annual O&M costs are presented in Table 18.
The abandonment of the existing WWTPs would cost an average of $52,000 per
year over the next 20 years (Section 5.3.1.1.2.). The cost for local
collection systems is presently unknown.
5.3.3. Alternative C
5.3.3.1. Components
Alternative C would serve the same sewered population as Alternative B,
except that the communities from northern Novi to White Lake Township would
be served by an expanded and upgraded Walled Lake WWTP instead of the
regional system. A new 9.0-mile long interceptor would be routed from the
southern White Lake Township boundary to the Walled Lake WWTP via the
same general alignment proposed for the Northern Arm of the regional inter-
ceptor in Alternative B (Figure 10) - The remainder of the project area
would be served by a 40.2-mile main-stem regional interceptor which
incorporates the existing Oakland County and Middle Rouge Interceptors. The
proposed new Hannan Road and Lower Huron River segments, and the Van Buren
and Trenton Arms of the regional interceptor would be routed and constructed
in the same manner as proposed in Alternative B.
The other five existing WWTPs in the southern part of the project area
would be abandoned. They would be replaced with a proposed new regional
WWTP at the site in southeast Brownstown Township. Capacity in the RVSDD
and DD presently contracted for by various project area communities would be
sold to eastern (downstream) communities. Use of the existing Middle Rouge
Interceptor in Northville and Plymouth Townships as part of the new regional
system would require construction of about 10,000 feet of supplementary
sewer in the area of Phoenix Lake to ensure adequate capacity. The same
flow and wasteload reduction options assumed in the two previous alternatives
(see Section 5.3.1.1.1.) were incorporated into this alternative.
107
-------
Figure 9- Alternative B; the conceptual route of the proposed interceptor
sewer is shown by the dotted line. The Huron Valley project
area is delineated by the heavy black line.
106
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Table 17. Estimated system cost for Alternative A-2.
Cost in Dollars (x 1,000)
Capita? Salvage^Average Annual O&M3
A. Interceptor (by segment)
North Arm 14,662 7,331
Hannan Road 19,765 9,883
Lower Huron 19,555 9,778
Van Buren-Sumpter Arm 3,810 1,905
(includes Sumpter Connection)
Trenton Arm 1,382 691
Trenton Pump Station 1,500 300 123
B. Treatment
37 mgd WWTP 56,323 11,265 3,258
10,000-foot outfall sewer 5,810 2,905
Total 122,807 44,058 3,381
C. Service Factor (25%) - Engineering, 30,702
Administrative, Legal, and
Contingencies
153,509
D. Interest During Construction 15,255
(3 years)
E. Total Capital Cost 168,764
F. Less Present Worth of Salvage Value -12,213
G. Net Capital Cost 156,551
H. Present Worth of O&M 36,870
Total Present Worth 193,421
I. Estimated Total Average Annual 17,737
Equivalent Cost
J. Cost per 1,000 gallons = $1.31
Interceptor and outfall sewer unit costs are based on Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc.
(1976); WWTP costs derived from US-EPA (1978).
2
Assumes 40-year life for interceptor and structures, 20-year life on equipment,
and straight-line depreciation.
Based on cost information in Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. (1976) adjusted to
January 1978 price levels. 1985 flow estimates were utilized to provide an
average operational condition.
105
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Average Annual
Cost ($ x 1,000)
(3) Abandoned WWTPs' debt retirement
Walled Lake WWTP
Flat Rock WWTP
Rockwood WWTP
City of Trenton WWTP
Wayne County-Trenton WWTP
Brownstown Lagoons
(4) Estimated cost for new septic tanks
(5) Estimated maintenance cost for septic tanks
(6) New local collection sewers
30
13
9
-0-(no outstanding debt)
-0-(no outstanding debt)
Unknown
92
560
Unknown
1,642
The cost for new local collection systems or additions to existing
systems is not available presently. Local facility planning will be
required to generate these estimates and justify their need. Twenty
percent of the total cost of these systems will be borne by local interests
(where such systems are eligible for Federal and State funding).
5.3.2. Alternative B
5.3.2.1. Components
Alternative B conceptually represents Wayne County's original Alternative
III (Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. 1976). A projected 364,500 persons in the
project area would be served by the regional system. This includes the
332,650 sewered population served by Alternative A-2 plus 23,000 projected
to be sewered by 1995 in White Lake Township, 4,100 in Wolverine Lake, and
4,750 in Belleville. It is assumed that communities will proceed with
facility planning with the intent to build and connect to the HVWWCS.
The six existing WWTPs would be abandoned under this alternative and
all flows would be diverted to the new interceptor. All capacity in the
RVSDD and DD owned by project area communities would be sold to eastern
(downstream) communities.
The 53-mile long, north-south regional interceptor proposed in this
alternative would be routed as far north as the White Lake Township boundary
(intersection of Cooley Lake and Carroll Lake Roads; Figure 9). It would
receive flows from White Lake Township conveyed via new local trunk sewers.
Proceeding south, the interceptor is proposed to be routed between Fox
Lake and Carroll Lake, and then along the Upper Huron River to Commerce.
Thence, the interceptor would be routed and constructed in the same general
104
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The proposed route of the interceptor sewer in Alternative A-2 is
identical to that of Alternative A-l (Figure 8). Disposition of contract
capacities in the RVSDD and DD, however, would be somewhat different than in
Alternative A-l. Only Northville, Plymouth, and Northville and Plymouth
Townships would continue to utilize their contract capacities in the
RVSDD (26.01 cfs). Flows in excess of this capacity would be conveyed
to the new Huron Valley Interceptor. Belleville would continue
to rely on its purchased capacity in the DD. All flows from Van Buren
Township would be diverted to the Huron Valley System. The Hannan Road
segment of the Huron Valley Interceptor would divert all flows generated in
northeastern Canton Township and in sewered areas to the north in the project
area except the 26.01 cfs which would continue to flow via the Middle Rouge
Interceptor to the Detroit System. All flows from Canton Township and Van
Buren Township presently conveyed via the Lower Rouge Interceptor to the
Detroit System would be diverted to the new Huron Valley System.
The six existing WWTPs in the project area would be abandoned. The new
Huron Valley Interceptor would divert flows presently routed to the six
existing WWTPs to the proposed regional WWTP. The new plant would have a
37 mgd design capacity and would employ the same treatment processes as
Alternative A-l. Sludge production at the regional plant would average
about 29 tons per day (dry weight). Approximately 6 tons per day of ash would
remain after incineration and would require disposal.
5.3.1.2.2. Construction and Operation Costs
Capital costs, salvage values, and average annual O&M are presented
in Table 17. Costs arising from other aspects of wastewater management include:
(1) the cost for continued diversion of 26.01 cfs to the RVSDD, (2) Belleville's
continued use of the DD, (3) the remaining debt on WWTPs which are to be
abandoned, (4) the investment in septic tanks for new households in
Wolverine Lake and White Lake Township which would be served by sewers in
the other regional alternatives, (5) the estimated average annual cost
of continued maintenance of all existing and new septic tanks which would
otherwise be replaced by sewer service in this area in other regional
alternatives, and (6) the cost of constructing local collection sewers in
areas proposed to be sewered in this alternative. Estimates of these
costs for the 20-year analysis period are:
Average Annual
Cost ($ x 1,000)
(1) Continued use of RVSDD
-Treatment of an average 6.72 mgd
at the Detroit Metropolitan WWTP 765
-Principal and interest on 26.01 cfs
capacity in RVSDD 42
(2) Belleville's continued use of DD
-Treatment of an average 0.94 mgd
at the Wyandotte WWTP 120
-Principal and interest on 2.8 cfs
capacity in DD 11
103
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Table 16. Estimated system cost for Alternative A-l.
Cost in Dollars (x 1,000)
Capital^Salvage^ Average Annual OSM•
A. Interceptor (by segment)
North Arm (Oakland County) 11,628 5,814
North Arm (Wayne County) 3,820 1,910
Hannan Road 22,760 11,380
Van Buren - Sumpter Arm 3,702 1,851
Sumpter Township Connection 108 54
Lower Huron 23,725 11,862
Trenton Arm 1,382 691
Trenton Pump Station 1,500 300 123
B. Treatment
49.2 mgd WWTP 76,197 15,239 4,520
10,000-foot outfall sewer 5,810 2,905
TOTAL 150,632 52,006 4,643
C. Service Factor (25%) -
Engineering, Administrative,
Legal, and Contingencies 37,658
188,290
D. Interest During Construction
(3 years) 18,711
E. Total Capital Cost 207,001
F. Less Present Worth of Salvage
Value - 14,416
G. Net Capital Cost 192,585
H. Present Worth of O&M 50,632
Total Present Worth 243,217
I• Estimated Total Average
Annual Equivalent Cost 22,303
J. Cost per 1,000 gallons = $1.24
"All interceptor and outfall sewer costs are from "Huron Valley Project, Alter-
native III Modified" as revised 16 September 1977 by Hubbell, Roth & Clark,
Inc.; WWTP costs are derived from US-EPA (1978).
2
Assumes 40-year life for interceptor and structures, 20-year life on equipment
and straight-line depreciation.
Based on cost information in Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. (1976) adjusted to
January 1978 price levels. 1985 flow estimates were utilized to provide an
average operational condition.
-------
(1) Continued use of RVSDD
-Treatment of an average 14.4 mgd at the
Detroit Metropolitan WWTP
-Principal and interest on 47.58 cfs
capacity in RVSDD
(2) Belleville and Van Buren Township's
continued use of DD
-Treatment of an average 3.2 mgd at
the Wyandotte WWTP
-Principal and interest on 8.0 cfs
capacity in DD
(3) Abandoned WWTPs1 debt retirement
Walled Lake WWTP
Flat Rock WWTP
Rockwood WWTP
City of Trenton WWTP
Wayne County-Trenton WWTP
Brownstown Lagoons
(4) Estimated cost for new septic tanks
(5) Estimated maintenance cost for septic tanks
(6) New local collection sewers
Average Annual
Cost ($ x 1,000)
1,639
101
408
32
30
13
9
-0-(no outstanding debt)
-0 - (no outstanding debt)
Unknown
92
560
Unknown
2,884
The cost for new local collection systems or additions to existing sys-
tems is not available presently. Local facility planning will be required
to generate these estimates and to justify their need. All of these costs
will be borne by local interests, with the exception of local collection
sewers eligible for 80% Federal and State funding.
Although communities would continue to use their existing contract
capacities in the RVSDD and in the DD until 1995, and only would rely on
the new interceptor for excess flows, they still would be required
to pay their share of the capital costs for the interceptor capacity
reserved for their future needs (after 1995).
5.3.1.2. Alternative A-2
5.3.1.2.1. Components
Alternative A-2 would serve the same communities as would Alternative
A-l (Section 5.3.1.1.1.). The maximum population projected to be provided
sewer service by this alternative is 332,650 versus 374,808 by Alternative
A-l.
101
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Lower Rouge Interceptor to serve Canton and Northern Van Buren Townships.
Flows in excess of the 10.1 cfs contract capacity in the RVSDD from Canton
(6.9 cfs) and Van Buren (3.2 cfs) Townships would be diverted to the new
interceptor.
From the junction of the Hannan Road segment of the regional interceptor
with the Huron River, the interceptor would be routed to the southeast along
the river. As proposed, it would cross the Huron River 15 times before reaching
the site of the proposed regional WWTP in southeast Brownstown Township. This
section of interceptor, and the 7.1-mile Sumpter-Van Buren and 4.8-mile Trenton
Arms (Figure 8) would be constructed by the open-cut method (Section 5.2.2.).
This segment would convey flows from the remainder of Van Buren Township, from
Sumpter, Huron, and Central and Southern Brownstown Townships; and from Flat
Rock, Rockwood, South Rockwood, Trenton, Woodhaven, and Gibraltar, as well as
those flows contributed to the sections of the regional interceptor described
previously.
It is assumed that new local sewer systems will be relatively free of
I/I. It also is assumed that the amount of I/I presently experienced in
existing collection systems which can be cost-effectively removed (Section
5.2.1.) will be eliminated by the time the new interceptor is operational.
Additionally, it is assumed that all industrial wastewater contributions to
local collection systems will meet applicable pretreatment requirements
(US-EPA 1973 and 1977).
Alternative A-l requires abandonment of the six operating WWTPs in the
project area. These plants would be replaced by a proposed new 49.2 mgd
regional WWTP. The plant would provide conventional pretreatment, primary
sedimentation, and activated sludge secondary treatment. Phosphorus would
be reduced to less than 1 mg/1 in the effluent by chemical addition. The
effluent would be disinfected with chlorine and discharged via a 10,000-
foot outfall sewer to the mid-channel of the Detroit River. Sludge generated
by the various treatment processes would average 38 tons per day (dry
weight basis). It would be dewatered by vacuum filtration and incinerated
on-site in a multiple hearth furnace. Ash from the incineration would
average 7 tons per day and would be disposed of at an unspecified landfill.
5.3.1.1.2. Construction and Operation Costs
Capital costs for construction of new interceptors and treatment facilities
for Alternative A*-l, their estimated salvage value after the 20-year analysis
period, and the average annual operation and maintenance costs (O&M) are pre-
sented in Table 16. (The estimated total capital cost for the WWTP was re-
calculated by WAPORA, Inc. and is considerably greater than the cost estimate
by the facilities planning consultant). Costs which would exist for other as-
pects of wastewater management in the project area and which must be considered
to ensure an equitable comparison among alternatives include: (1) the cost for
continued diversion of up to 14.4 mgd to the RVSDD, (2) Belleville and Van Buren
Township's continued use of the DD, (3) the remaining debts on WWTPs which are
to be abandoned, (4) the investment in new septic tanks for new households in
Wolverine Lake and White Lake Township which would be served by sewers in other
regional alternatives, (5) the estimated average annual cost of continued main-
tenancy of all existing and new septic tanks which would otherwise be replaced by
sewer service in this area in other regional alternatives, and (6) the cost of con-
structing local collection sewers in area proposed to be sewered in Alternative
A-l. Estimates of these costs for the 20-year analysis period are:
100
-------
Figure 8. Alternatives A-l and A-2; the conceptual route of the proposed
interceptor sewer systems is shown by the dotted line. The
Huron Valley project area is delineated by the heavy black line.
99
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Table 15. (continued).
2
Based on an alternative population projection (see Section 3,1.2.),
estimates of future sewered households by SEMCOG (1978), and estimate
of existing households which would connect to new sewer systems by
WAPORA, Inc.
Plymouth and Belleville are sewered but indicated they would not participate
in the Huron Valley System. White Lake Township and the Village of
Wolverine Lake are not sewered and indicated they would not participate
(12 April 1977 letter from Mr. George R. Bingham, Director, Wayne County
Board of Public Works to participating communities).
4
These communities would continue to utilize their capacity in the RVSDD
until 1995 and only contribute flows in excess of that capacity to the
new regional interceptor.
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Table 15. Projected sewered population to be served by Alternatives A-l
and A-2 for the Huron Valley Wastewater Control System, Michigan.
COMMUNITY
Alternative A-l
Alternative A-2
1995 Pro- Year Projec-
jected ted to Join
Sewered New Systeml
Population^
1995 Pro- Year Projec-
jected ted to Join
Sewered New Systeml
Population2
Oakland County
White Lake Township
Commerce Township
Wolverine Lake
Walled Lake
Novi
Subtotal
-O-3
27,000
-0-3
7,000
44,073
78,073
1980
1980
19804
-0-3
12,700
-0-3
3,800
20,100
36,600
1980
1980
1980
Wayne County
Northville
Northville Twp,
Plymouth Twp.
Plymouth
Canton Twp.
Van Buren Twp.
Belleville
Romulus
Sumpter Twp.
Huron Twp.
Flat Rock
South Rockwood
Rockwood
Brown s t own Twp.
Brownstown Twp,
Woodhaven
Trenton
Gibraltar
5,000
38,975
26,000
-O-3
44,448
43,029
-O-3
2,544
18,196
23,635
14,152
(Monroe County) 1,784
5,747
(South) 5,350
(Central) 10,000
12,822
36,863
8,190
19854
19854
19904
19804
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
Subtotal
Total
296,735
374,808
5,900
22,600
23,150
12,450
60,400
44,000
-O-3
2,550
17,400
18,600
12,600
2,800
3,600
6,800
27,350
9,650
22,150
4,050
296,050
332,650
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
Contained in 12 April 1977 letter from Mr. George R. Bingham, Director, Wayne
County Board of Public Works to participating communities.
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Sewage Disposal District (RVSDD), and Van Buren Township would discontinue
its use of the Downriver District (DD). Both Canton and Van Buren Townships
would rely entirely on capacity in the Huron Valley System.
5.3.1.1. Alternative A-l
5.3.1.1.1. Components
This alternative proposes that the Wayne County DPW's projected ultimate
population of 374,808 (Table 15) for the project area (except White Lake
Township, Wolverine Lake Village in Commerce Township, Plymouth, and Belleville)
would be provided capacity in the proposed regional interceptor sewer. (The
four communities named had expressed a desire not to participate in the
regional system.) Participating project area communities which hold contracts
for capacity in the RVSDD (Novi, Northville, Northville Township, Plymouth
Township, Canton Township, and Van Buren Township) and the DD (Van Buren
Township) would continue to rely on these systems to various degrees until 1995.
The DPW's schedule for utilization of capacity in the new system by these
communities is presented in Table 15.
The 50-mile, north-south regional interceptor proposed in this alternative
would begin on the east side of Commerce Lake in Commerce Township (Figure 8).
At this point, the interceptor would collect flows from the northern part of
the project area including Commerce and northern Commerce Township when their
local collection systems are constructed and are operational.
The interceptor would be routed to the southwest and south, following
the route described in Section 5.2.2. It would intercept the flows from the
Walled Lake WWTP (from the community of Walled Lake and from northeastern Novi).
The northern arm of the new interceptor is proposed to connect to the existing Oak-
land County Interceptor in Novi (at Chattman Drive at Ennishore). This would
eliminate the need for new construction south to Northville. This segment would
convey flows from the other sewered areas in Novi.
In Northville, the Oakland County interceptor joins the Wayne County
Middle Rouge Interceptor, which presently conveys wastewater from Novi via
the Rouge Valley Interceptor system to the Detroit System. The capacity
of the Middle Rouge Interceptor from southern Northville to just east of
Wilcox Lake is not adequate to convey both the existing and future flows
from the northern segment of the new interceptor and the flows from Novi,
Northville, Northville Township, and Plymouth Township. Therefore, a parallel
sewer is needed.
The Hannan Road segment of the new interceptor would branch from the
Middle Rouge Interceptor southeast of Plymouth (where Joy Road intersects the
Plymouth-Livonia corporate boundary). It would divert all flows from the
Middle Rouge Interceptor including Plymouth's except the 37.48 cfs maximum
flow contracted in the RVSDD by Novi (4.0 cfs), Northville (3.6 cfs), North-
ville Township (2.6 cfs plus 5.41 cfs reserved for state institutions in the
township), Plymouth (4.8 cfs) , Plymouth Township (9.6 cfs) , and Canton Town-
ship (7.47 cfs).
The Hannan Road interceptor, from Joy Road south to the Huron River in
Van Buren Township, is proposed to be tunneled. Near the Lower River Rouge
in Canton Township, the Hannan Road Interceptor would interconnect with the
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quarries, such as the silica pits near the proposed regional WWTP site,
also has potential as a final disposal option. Environmental Consultants,
Inc. (1977) concluded "that there are land areas suitable for the application
of a portion of the residues generated in the (SEMCOG) region provided
that proper consideration is given to the environmental character of
the proposed application site and to balancing the rates of application
with the soil and vegetative capacity to assimilate the residuals. Pre-
sently, there is one municipality in the region applying residues to the
land surface. More widespread employment in the region is apparently
constrained by the variability in regulation and by real and imagined
concerns of adverse public reaction".
Identification of specific sites for the land application of sludge
is beyond the scope of the EIS. The potential, however, exists for land application.
5.3. System Alternatives
Feasible and compatible sets of component options were combined into
system alternatives. The alternatives represent combinations of conveyance
options for various wastewater flows, different treatment processes, siting
options, effluent disposal options, and sludge processing and disposal
options. Each alternative represents a somewhat different level or quality
of service for the project area. The components and construction and operation
costs of the alternatives are presented in the following sections.
The capital cost of the implemented alternative would be shared 80%
by the Federal (75%) and State (5%) Construction Grants Programs and 20%
by local participants. Annual operation and maintenance costs would be
financed entirely by local users of the system. The local share of capital
costs probably would be paid for with county revenue bonds. Bond retirement
could be accomplished by the participating communities through the collection
of user fees, by applying special assessments, or by other means (Section 6.1.2.).
All cost data are based on January 1973 price levels.
5.3.1. Alternative A
Alternative A represents the Wayne County DPWs recent proposal for a
modified regional wastewater management system to serve the majority of the
project area. Two versions of Alternative A have been examined. The first,
designated Alternative A-l herein, represents the DPWs proposed "Alternate
Ill-Modified Wayne/Oakland Segment" (III-M). The projected population to
be served, schedule for joining the system, interceptor sewer sizes and costs,
and the proposed treatment plant capacity presented in Alternative A-l were
developed by the DPW and its consultants.
The second version of Alternative A, Alternative A-2, incorporates the
conceptual design of Alternative III-M. Alternative A-2, however, is based on
the SEMCOG population projections disucssed in Section 3.1.2. Based on these
projections and supplemental estimates by SEMCOG of the future number of sewered
households, sewer service projections for the year 1995 were developed. These
forecasts indicated a future need for wastewater treatment service by project
area communities which was substantially different than community requirements
under Alternative A-l. Proposed interceptor sewer and regional treatment plant
capacity requirements were recalculated. Alternative A-2 also deviates from A-l
in that Plymouth is considered a participant in the regional system, Canton Town-
ship and Van Buren Township would discontinue their participation in the Rouge Valley
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5.2.5.5. Concentration of Sludge
Concentration of sludge is a thickening process utilized to reduce the
overall volume. For example, concentrating a new sludge with a solids
content from 1% to 4% of total weight would reduce the sludge volume by
25%. Sludge thickeners usually are mechanical, although dissolved-air
floatation is used. This process option must be combined with other
volume reducing processes to be effective, except when used as a process
step prior to land disposal of liquid sludge.
5.2.5.6. Conditioning
Conditioning is a process used to improve the dewatering characteristics
of a sludge. This is accomplished through chemical addition or heat
treatment. This process is applied prior to vacuum filtration or
centrifugation processes.
5.2.5.7. Dewatering and Drying
Dewatering and drying processes are selected when the sludge disposal
requires a semi-solid rather than a liquid sludge. The most common dewatering
processes include use of drying beds, vacuum filtration, centrifugation,
and pressure filtration.
Drying beds require large land areas and are weather dependent which
causes this option to be infeasible for the proposed regional WWTPs in the
project area. Vacuum filtration is the most widely used mechanical system.
The final dewatered product can be used as a soil conditioner or low-grade
fertilizer, or can be incinerated. Centrifugation mechanically separates
sludge cake from centrate and can achieve solids concentrations of from 15%
to 40% which is suitable for land disposal or incineration. Pressure fil-
tration "squeezes" water out of sludge in a filter press. Hubbell, Roth
& Clark, Inc. (1976) selected vacuum filtration as the most cost-effective
and reliable sludge dewatering system for the Huron Valley wastewater
control system.
Heat drying to reduce moisture content primarily is applied as an
initial step in the incineration process. It, therefore, is included
as part of the incineration process in the discussion of alternatives.
5.2.5.8. Land Disposal
Sludges can be incorporated into soils, lagooned, or landfilled if
suitable sites are available. The humus in digested sludges is a bene-
ficial soil conditioner and improves soil moisture retention. Digested
sludges also can be heat dried, ground, and fortified with nitrogen to
produce fertilizer. When the WWTP is in a remote location, lagooning can
be selected as a low-cost alternative. An appropriate site does not exist
in the project area.
Landfilling of raw or digested sludge can be practiced if landfill
sites are available. Raw sludges would require disposal in a sanitary
landfill to eliminate odors. Dumping of digested sludges in abandoned
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months of detention time in sealed reactors, depending on the specific
system design. For regional WWTPs, this would require a large number of
digesters and a correspondingly large land area. Digestion is of questionable
feasibility for alternatives which include a new regional WWTP. The small
land areas available at the Flat Rock, Rockwood, Trenton, and Wayne County-
Trenton WWTPs and their existing dependence on alternative off-site disposal
systems preclude anaerobic digestion as a viable option for existing plant
expansion alternatives.
5.2.5.2. Incineration
Incineration converts sludge to an inert ash. If adequate dewatering
is provided prior to incineration, the process proceeds without the need
for a significant amount of supplemental fuel. Restraints on incinerators
for sludge disposal are the need for atmospheric emission controls, odor
control, ash disposal, and intensive maintenance.
Various incineration processes are being utilized in sludge management,
including multiple hearth, fluidized bed, rotary kiln, and cyclonic
reactor processes. Multiple hearth incineration is the most widely utiliz-
ed method for WWTPs between 10 mgd and 100 mgd. Cyclonic reactors are best
suited for small WWTPs (less than 500 Ib/hr of sludge) where site land area
is restricted. The rotary kiln process can be designed for a wide range
of capacities, but is most cost effective for plants larger than 100 mgd.
The fluidized bed process has had limited application.
5.2.5.3. Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a process which involves heating solid waste (sludge)
in the absence of oxygen to produce a char and other inert material, and
a variety of condensable and noncondensable gases. The process can effectively
recover some of the energy in the sludge. Useful by-products in addition
to energy often can be recovered from the process. The technology is still
in a developmental status, but several pilot plants presently are operational.
The Detroit Overview Plan for wastewater treatment facilities and sludge
disposal (Giffels/Black & Veatch 1977e) recommended that the City of Detroit
install a pilot pyrolysis plant to test the potential of the process as
the City's ultimate sludge processing system. The pilot plant has not been
constructed as of 1 August 1978. Because of the experimental nature of
this technology and the uncertainty of its relative economics, it is not
considered further herein.
5.2.5.4. Wet Oxidation
This process utilizes elevated temperature and pressure to oxidize new
sludge. The final products are gases, liquids, and ash. The liquid and
solids must be separated on sand beds or in settling tanks. Through proper
design, thermal self-sufficiency can be achieved (Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. 1972).
This; process has had very limited application and was not included in system
alternatives.
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Siting a new WWTP adjacent to the Huron River at French Landing
(downstream from Belleville Lake) was proposed as an alternative WWTP
site in the Facility Plan (Hubbell, Roth, s Clark, Inc. 1976). Effluent from
such a WWTP would create a potential public health hazard. The Michigan
Department of Public Health (By letter, MDPH to the Washtenaw and Wayne
County DPWs, 13 April 1976) declared that "downstream use of water for
water supply at Flat Rock is not compatible with the proposed wastewater
facility at French Landing". The site at French Landing was eliminated
from further consideration.
The MDNR also has established effluent criteria for potential future
discharges of wastewater effluent to the Lower Huron River, to the Detroit
River, and to Lake Erie (By letter, MDNR to Hubbell, Roth, s Clark, Inc.
29 January 1975). These criteria recommend treatment in excess of standard
secondary treatment (defined as 30 mg/1, 30-day average BOD^ and SS) for
effluent discharged from an expanded Flat Rock WWTP and from the Rockwood
WWTP. A small new Brownstown Township WWTP for southeast Brownstown Town-
ship discharging to Silver Creek and thence into the Lower Huron River
would need to meet tertiary effluent requirements (maximum of 10 mg/1 6005
and 15 mg/1 SS). A new regional WWTP discharging to Lake Erie and the City
of Trenton and Wayne County - Trenton WWTPs which discharge to the Detroit
River would need to meet secondary treatment standards.
5.2.5. Sludge Processing and Disposal
The removal of solids from influent wastewater by each of the waste-
water treatment processes discussed (Section 5.2.3.) creates a need for
management of the residual sludge- This sludge is largely organic, but
significant amounts of inert chemicals are present when phosphorus removal
is practiced. A typical sludge management program involves interrelated
processes for reducing the volume of the sludge (which is mostly water)
and final disposal.
Volume reduction depends on reducing both the water and organic
content of sludges. Organics can be reduced through the use of digestion,
incineration, pyrolysis, or wet oxidation processes. Moisture reduction is
attainable through concentration, conditioning, dewatering, and/or drying
processes. The selected mode of final disposal determines which processes
are required.
5.2.5.1. Digestion
Sludges can be digested by either aerobic or anaerobic processes.
Aerobic digestion is attained by bacterial oxidation of organic material
to carbon dioxide and water. The process requires high energy inputs
to maintain aerobic conditions in sludge digestion tanks and is not cost
effective for larger systems.
Anaerobic digestion is more commonly used. During anaerobic digestion,
organics in the sludge are reduced to methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen
sulfide, and other products. This process requires from 10 days to several
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5.2.3.3. Advanced Wastewater Treatment
Advanced wastewater treatment is required in alternatives which
include continued discharge of effluent to the Lower Huron River by ex-
isting WWTPs and by the Walled Lake WWTP (Section 5.2.4.). A tertiary
sand filter unit process as part of the upgrading and/or expansion of
the Flat Rock, Rockwood, and southeast Brownstown Township WWTPs is being
considered.
All alternatives must incorporate phosphorus removal. Presently
project area WWTPs employ the conventional chemical addition of alum, lime,
ferric chloride, or industrial waste pickle liquor to achieve phosphorus
removal. This process will be retained, except in conjunction with the Walled
Lake WWTP. The 12 pounds per day total effluent phosphorus limitation
imposed by MDNR (Section 5.2.4.) on the Walled Lake WWTP requires a two-
stage lime process. This process would provide removal efficiencies of
up to 98%, when coupled with a final multi-media filtration process (US-
EPA 1976a).
5.2.3.4. Disinfection
Disinfection of treated effluent traditionally has been used to
eliminate disease causing bacteria and viruses. The conventional disinfec-
tion process has been chlorination.
Ozonation can be utilized as an alternative disinfection process.
This option does not present a danger to aquatic life, but is several
times more expensive than the chlorination process. Pilot plant studies
have shown that it is difficult to achieve consistently high levels of
disinfection with ozone when the process is applied to secondary effluent.
Tertiary filtration is required prior to ozonation to increase its efficien-
cy (US-EPA 1976b). For these reasons, ozonation has been eliminated from
further consideration.
5.2.4. Effluent Disposal Methods and Sites
Three WWTP effluent disposal options are available: discharge to
receiving waters, disposal on land, and reuse. Of the three, only the first
presently is considered feasible in the project area. Disposal on land
is not feasible for the same reasons that land application as a treatment
process was rejected (Section 5.2.3.4.). Reuse would require costly ad-
vanced wastewater treatment and sufficient economic incentive is not
available to justify the expense.
No new WWTP effluent discharge is permitted to the Upper Huron
River upstream from Proud Lake or to the upper Middle River Rouge upstream
from Newburgh Lake (By letter, MDNR to Hubbell, Roth, & Clark, Inc.
29 January 1976). The MDNR also has limited total phosphorus loadings in
the effluent discharged from an expanded Walled Lake WWTP to 12 pounds
per day (By letter, MDNR to Mr. Donald D. Ringer, Director, Oakland County
Department of Public Works 22 November 1976).
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The City of Rockwood WWTP utilizes a trickling filter tower with
a plastic filter media to provide secondary treatment of wastewater.
Inspection of the plant and analysis of the monthly plant operation reports
by WAPORA during 1977 indicated that effluent quality limitations were not
being met. The alternatives which include upgrading and expanding existing
WWTPs in the project area include the addition of a tertiary sand filter
to the Rockwood WWTP to improve its effluent characteristics. (Enforce-
ment of industrial pretreatment standards also would be required.)
5.2.3.2.3. Lagoons
Oxidation and facultative lagoons often are utilized to provide
secondary treatment for small wastewater systems. Oxidation lagoons are
generally shallow (less than 3 feet) to insure that natural surface re-
aeration can maintain aerobic conditions. The large land area required for
this process eliminated it from consideration in the Huron Valley project
area.
Facultative lagoons are deeper (up to 10 feet) and utilize both
natural aerobic and anaerobic biological processes in the degradation
of organics. This process presently is utilized by Brownstown Township
for treatment of wastes generated in southeastern Brownstown Township.
The present lagoons (19 acres) are inadequate. This option is not considered
further.
Mechanical surface aeration units can be utilized to insure increased
rates of atmospheric oxygen transport into the waters of the lagoon. With
this system, deeper lagoons can be utilized reducing the surface area
requirement somewhat. This process, however, cannot produce the high
quality of effluent required by the MDNR for continued discharge to Silver
Creek (tributary to the Lower Huron River) and is rejected.
5.2.3.2.4. Land Treatment
Land treatment of wastewater is a viable alternative when soil con-
ditions and groundwater levels are suitable. Land treatment options have
been eliminated as a proposed regional wastewater treatment process
(treatment for more than 10 ragd) because of the large land areas required,
the excessive costs, and the lack of social acceptability (Hubbell, Roth,
& Clark, Inc. 1976? Giffels/Black & Veatch 1977d). Some potential may
exist for smaller land treatment systems in proximity to central or northern
project area communities. For example, White Lake Township may be able
to utilize a land treatment system if sewers are constructed. Further
investigation of the feasibility of such an alternative treatment option
through the facility planning process is required before it can be consid-
ered further.
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lagoons, slow-rate infiltration or irrigation, overland flow, or rapid
infiltration.
The degree of treatment required is dependent on the effluent dis-
posal option selected (Section 5.2.4.), Where effluent disposal of treated
wastewater is by discharge to receiving waters, effluent quality limitations
determined by MDNR establish the required level of treatment.
5.2.3.1. Preliminary Treatment and Primary Sedimentation
All options considered incorporate conventional preliminary treatment
and primary sedimentation. These unit processes serve to remove coarse
solids, readily settleable suspended solids, floating solids, and grease
from the influent wastewater. It is assumed in each treatment option
considered that these processes will remove from 50% to 65% of the suspend-
ed solids and from 25% to 40% of the BODc from the wastewater.
5.2.3.2. Secondary Treatment
Secondary treatment processes remove soluable and colloidal sized
organic substances from wastewater. The most frequently used are the
activated sludge and trickling filter processes (Metealf& Eddy, Inc. 1972).
Lagoons and other land treatment methods also are available, but have more
limited applications.
5.2.3.2.1. Activated Sludge
The basic activated sludge process consists of aeration units, a
secondary clarifier, and a sludge recycle and wasting system. A number
of modifications to the basic process exist. Each is specific to different
strength wastes. The efficiency of BOD removal by the conventional diffused-
air and pure-oxygen system options ranges from 85% to 95%.
Diffused-air systems presently are used at the Walled Lake, City of
Trenton, and Flat Rock WWTPs. Continued utilization of this process
in alternatives which provide for upgrading and expanding these WWTPs
would be cost-effective. Alternatives which propose construction of a new
secondary process at the Wayne County-Trenton WWTP and a small, new tertiary
plant for southeastern Brownstown Township also include design of a diffused-
air activated sludge unit. Alternatives which consider construction of
a new regional secondary treatment plant to be located near the mouth
of the Huron River in southeastern Brownstown Township include selection
of a deep-tank, oxygen-activated sludge process in lieu of the diffused-
air system.
5.2.3.2.2. Trickling Filter
The trickling filter is a relatively simple biological treatment
process. Wastewater is sprinkled over a higly permeable bed of rocks or
similar coarse material. As the wastewater percolates through the bed,
the biological slime layer growing on the media absorbs and metabolizes
the organic wastes.
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Plymouth). The route would skirt Plymouth to the northeast and east. The
Middle Rouge interceptor again would be utilized without additional construction
from the intersection of East Hines Drive and Haggerty Road (east of Plymouth)
to the intersection of Hannan Road and Joy Road (south of Newburgh Lake). A
new interceptor would be tunneled due south under Hannan Road. It would
come into close proximity to the Lower Huron River southeast of French
Landing. The interceptor would be constructed by the open-cut method
along the river, crossing to the west side of th^e river at the con-
fluence of Griggs Drain where it is joined by the 7.1-mile Van Buren-
Sumpter Arm which extends west into Sumpter and Van Buren Townships.
This arm of the interceptor would convey flows from Sumpter Township and
southern Van Buren Township to the regional system. From Griggs Drain,
the interceptor is routed along the Lower Huron River (primarily via
open-cut construction) to the proposed WWTP site in southeast Brownstown
Township. The plan associated with this interceptor alignment also would
require development of a new 4.8-mile force main from the Wayne County-
Trenton WWTP to the proposed new WWTP site in southeastern Brownstown
Township for conveyance of wastewaters from both the Wayne County-Trenton
and the City of Trenton WWTPs (Section 5.2.3.).
There are numerous river crossings proposed along the interceptor
route. This is only a tentative route. A more detailed alignment (during
"Step II" design) based on environmental factors such as ecologically fragile
areas, soil conditions, etc., may be somewhat different.
Other possible north-south interceptor configurations are proposed
which utilize the same general route, except that each would be shorter.
For example, a 9.0-mile interceptor is proposed to be routed from the northern
terminus at Cooley Lake Road via the same route as previously described to a
point about 1.0 mile north of 12-Mile Road adjacent to the Walled Lake WWTP.
This collection system option would be compatible with the treatment component
option to upgrade and expand the Walled Lake WWTP to 4.8 mgd to serve newly-
sewered areas in White Lake Township and Commerce Township. Other options
include constructing a 26.4-mile main-stem regional interceptor from as far
north as central Canton Township to the proposed Brownstown Township WWTP
site, or a 40.2-mile interceptor from as far north as central Novi southward
to Brownstown Township. Interceptor sizing for the feasibility analysis
conducted herein was based on 20-year peak wastewater flow projections, as
was done in the HVWWCS Facility Plan (Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. 1976).
Consideration in the decision-making process should be given to sizing the
regional interceptor for 40- to 50-year design flows. The interceptors
proposed herein will have at least a 40- to 50-year physical life. This
incorporates the engineering guideline of design for the estimated ultimate
tributary population (Great Lakes-Upper Mississippi River Board of State
Sanitary Engineers 1971).
5.2.3. Wastewater Treatment Processes
The HVWWCS Facility Plan (Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. 1976) considered
a variety of treatment options for application in the project area. In
general, wastewater treatment options include conventional physical, bio-
logical, and chemical processes, or land treatment. The conventional op-
tions utilize preliminary treatment; primary sedimentation; secondary acti-
vated sludge or trickling filter processes; chemical additions for phosphorus
removal; final clarification; and, in instances where additional tertiary
treatment is desired, final filtration. These unit processes are followed
by disinfection prior to effluent disposal. Land treatment processes include
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