Report to the
INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION
GREAT LAKES BOARD
on the
CONTROL OF POLLUTION OF BOUNDARY WATER
IN CONNECTING CHANNELS
ST. MARYS RIVER
ST. CLAIR RIVER
DETROIT RIVER
Coliform Densities
United States Side of Detroit River
SEPTEMBER 1972
£7.5. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Michigan District Office
MICHIGAN WATER RESOURCES COMMISSION
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COLIFORM DENSITIES
UNITED STATES SIDE - DETROIT RIVER
ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION
At the March 1972 International Joint Commission (IJC) Lakes Advisory
Board (now the IJC Great Lakes Board), a recommendation was made that the
Ontario Ministry of the Environment (Ontario MOE), the Michigan Water
Resources Commission (MWRC), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Michigan District Office (EPA-MIDO) meet to discuss the causes of high
coliform densities in the Detroit River. The meeting was held at the
EPA-MIDO office on April 25, 1972, with representatives from the three
agencies present.
COLIFORM DATA ANALYSIS
Because sewage treatment plant effluents generally receive adequate
disinfection, the agencies hypothesized that the present condition is
being caused by combined sewer overflows during rainstorms. To test this
hypothesis, the 1971 coliform data were grouped according to whether the
sample was collected during (or five days after a 0.2 inch/day rain) or
during a dry period. The median of each group was determined. These are
listed in Attachment 1. It can be seen without Vigorous statistical
analysis that the wet weather densities exceed the dry weather densities
at almost every river station.
COMBINED SEWERS
Locations
Attachment No. 2 lists the locations of stormwater outlets in the
Detroit area. Attachment No. 3 is a map of these locations. This
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information is from The Report on Pollution of the Detroit River, Michigan
Waters of Lake Erie, and Their Tributaries, U.S. DHEW, PHS, April 1965.
ABATEMENT PROGRAMS
Recommendations of the Detroit River and Lake Erie Enforcement
Conferences and requirements of the Federally-approved interstate water
quality standards require control and treatment of combined sewer overflows.
The City of Detroit is under orders from the MWRC to study methods of
control and to reduce volume and frequency of combined sewer discharges.
In 1966, the Detroit Metropolitan Water Department received a research
and development grant from the Federal Government to develop a system to
monitor and control stormwater overflows. The Water Department developed
a telemetering system which measures rainfall, gate openings, and the
level of stormwater in each section of the interceptor system. The levels
and storage can be controlled from a central location by adjusting gates
and pump operation in the system. Bypassing of stormwater to the Detroit
River is minimized by routing more water through the treatment plant.
The system to date has significantly reduced the effect of combined sewer
overflows and the Water Department continues to improve the system.
Other controls on the United States side of the Detroit River include:
1) Construction to improve the Fox Creek interceptor and eliminate
bypasses from this location has begun.
2) The City of Trenton completed its sewer separation program
in 1969.
3) The Ecorse Creek drainage area communities including all or parts
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of: River Rouge, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Taylor, Allen Park, Southgate,
Dearborn Heights, and Wyandotte are under MWRC orders to solve their
problem by January 1, 1975. To date, preliminary planning phases
have been completed.
4) A plan for relief drain No. 5 drainage area, including parts of
Wyandotte and Southgate, has been developed whereby stormwater will
receive a minimum of one hour retention with chlorination.
5) The possibility of improving the situation at Conners Creek is
being studied.
6) Communities draining to the Milk River and Nine Mile Road relief
sewer discharging to Lake St. Clair have begun an action program
under MWRC guidelines to solve their problems.
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ATTACHMENT 1
EPA/ MICHIGAN DISTRICT OFFICE
Total Coliform Data Analysis
1971 - Detroit River
River Station
Feet from
U.S. Shore
Total Coliform (MF/100 ml)
1971 Median - MWRC-MOE Data
Wet Dry
20
100
300
500
1,000
2,000
2,500
1,200
1,900
700
<100
^,400
950
100
<94
<100
<78
<100
31
43
84
100
500
980
21,000
500
4,500
56
100
600
50
200
400
1,000
1,500
1,800
2,000
2,300
30,000
43,000
2,000
17,000
75,000
220
300
170
<100
150
160
680
9,000
100
300
800
1,000
1,500
2,200
2,300
2,500
13,000
14,000
100
1,000
1,300
12,000
1,600
25,000
800
1,600
270
100
100
900
240
2,500
100
400
900
1,600
22,000
18,000
440
600
5,700
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Total Coliform Data Analysis
1971 - Detroit River
(continued)
Total Coliform (MF/100 ml)
Feet from 1971 Median - MWRC-MOE Data
River Station U.S. Shore Wet Dry
100 72,000 17,000
"200 230 2,500
400 84,000 2,200
1,000 24,000 820
2,000 5,000 950
3,000 1,700 170
122 3,000 460
322 220 300
490 46,000 4,000
880 10,000 2,800
200 120,000 980
500 30,000 1,900
1,200 30,000 600
3,000 12,000 860
4,000 13,000 1,100
5,000 13,000 300
5,800 14,000 2,800
80 170,000 1,100
280 600 730
480 71,000 510
980 15,000 630
1,240 5,000 1,800
2,500 130,000 6,700
5,500 140,000 1,500
7,500 20,000 2,800
9,500 47,000 1,200
11,500 6,000 100
14,500 28,000 200
15,000 19,000 320
16,200 10,000 700
16,500 9,200 1,500
18,500 20,000 6,900
19,300 18,000 8,800
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ATTACHMENTxlA
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STORMWATER OVERFLOWS
ATTACHMENT No. 2,
Table 10-11 and Figure 7-II give the location of all the stormwater overflows which
may have a significant effect on the Detroit River. In most cases the overflows are lo-
cated by the names of the streets to which they are nearest. The outfalls are listed from
upstream to downstream.
STORMWATER OVERFLOW LOCATIONS
CITY OF DETROIT
Location
Fox Creek
Conners Creek
Fischer
Iroquois
E. Grand Blvd.
Helen
Mt. Elliott
JLieb
Adair
Jos. Campau
Chene
Dubois
St. Aubin
Orleans
Hastings
St. Antoine
Beaubien
Brush
Randolph
Bates
Woodward
Griswold
Cass
First
Second
Third
Brooklyn
S. of Tenth
Twelfth
Fourteenth
Eighteenth
Twenty-first
Twenty-fourth
W. Grand Blvd.
Swain
Scotten
McKinstry
Summit
Ferdinand
Morrell
No. and Size
2 - 10'0"xlO'0M
1- 12'0"
3 - 18r6"x21'9"
3 - 14'0"xl4lOM
1 - 13'9"
6 - 4'8"
1 - H'O"
1 - 9'0"
4 - 5'0"
2 - 10'0"xl0'6"
1 - 5'0"
3 - 6'0"x8'8"
2 - 3'8n
2 - 5'0"x4'9"
1 - 4'9"
1 - 5'0"
1 - 3'0"
1 - 5'0"
1 - 5'0"
1 - 3'0"
1 - 2'6"x3'0"
1 - 8'0"
1 - 13'6"
2 - 6'8"
1 - 8'0"
1 - 7'0"
2 - 4'0"x510"
2 - 10'0"xl0'6"
1 - 4'9 l/2"x5'7" arch
1 - 5'0"x5'7" arch
3 - 4'0" arches
1 - 2'0"
2 - 5'0"
2 - 4'0"
2 - 4'3"
2 - 5'3"
1 - 4'6"x6'0" oval
1 - 8'0"
1 - 3'0"
1 - 3'0"
2 - 4'8"
2 - 4'6"
3 - 7'6"x8'8"
2 - 4'6"
4 - 5'0"
Receiving
Water
Fox Creek
Conners
Creek
Detroit River
»
n
"
n
it
n •
n
n
"
it
n
"
n
n
n
n
n
n •
n
n
•i
n
n
"
it
n
n
n
n
n
n
ii
n
n
n
n
ii
it
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CITY OF DETROIT—Continued
Location
'Junction
Campbell
Dragoon
Schroeder
Fort Cutoff &
Dearborn Ave.
Flora & Reisener
Pulaski
Dearborn Ave.
Gary
Anderson
Westwood
Silvery Lane
1000' W. of Telegraph
Telegraph
1000' E. of Telegraph
Outer Drive
Reginald
Military
Monroe
Willoway
750' 2. of East End
of Garrison
ZOOO' W. of
Southfield Road
ZOOO1 E. of
Soutlifield Road
2500' E. of
Southfield Road
N. Dearborn Road
& Rotunda Drive
Ford Motor Company
Boat Slip
Jefferson
Southfield
No. and Size
1 - 13'0"
1 - 6'6"
1 - 6'2"
1 - 6'3"
1 - 10'6"
2 - 5'3"
1 - 6'10"
6 - 4l6"x4'0" F.
Gates
2 - I'O" F. Gates
1 - 5'0"
1 - 6'6"
1 - 5'9"
2 - 3'0"
1 - 3'0"
CITY OF DEARBORN
1 - Z'6"
1 - 3'0"
1 - 8'0"
1 - 8'0"
1 - 7'6"
1 - I'O"
1 - 4'0"
1 - lO'O"
1 - 9'6"
1 - 6'3"
1 - 2'6"
1 - 4'6"
1 - 4'9"
1 - 11'6"
1 - 12'0"
1 - 10'0"xJ.2'9"
1 - 5'0"xl0'0"
1 - 10'P"~12'6"
1 - 10'0"xll'6"
1 - ID'O-'xH'O"
Receiving Water
Detroit River
n
it
Rouge River
II
II
II
It
II
II
L. Rouge River
n
n
n
n
n
Rouge River
n
n
n
CITY OF RIVER ROUGE
1 - 6'0"
CITY OF ECORSE
1 - 4'0"
Rouge River
Detroit River
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CITIES OF ALLEN PARK AND LINCOLN PARK
Location ' No. and Size Receiving Water
White
Farnham
Near Junction of
S. Branch
Perry
Superior Blvd.
Orange
Ludington
Pennsalt Chemical
Company property
Sib ley
Elm
Elizabeth
S. oi: Detroit Edison Co.
1 - 5'6"
1 - 5'6"
2 - 9'0"x9'0"
1 - 5'6"
CITY OF WYANDOTTE
1 - 3'6"
1 - 3'0"
2 - 4'0"
1 - 3'0"
1 - 3'0"
CITY OF RIVERVIEW
1 - 4'0"x4'0"
1 - 3'6"
CITY OF TRENTON
1 - 4'6"
1 - 2'6"
Unknown
Ecorse River
Detroit River
ti
Trenton Channel
ii
Trenton Channel
Trenton Channel
Elizabeth Park Canal
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LAKE i ! \ \ \ ERIE
! I \ \
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