Why update Streets - WITHOUT renovating sewers ?

Think hard, plan even harder , then execute, strategically .

Everyone wants the streets updated, and it would be a damn shame to take a Brand New Road, freshly paved, and tear it up a few years from now - for a broken sewer/drain - Just because people are in a rush to fix potholes !!!!

So many areas are now highly populated, every square inch asphalted, paved, developed, etc. - where is ALL that rain supposed to go folks - into those old tiny pipes from 50, 60, 70 years ago ???? it is fast approaching 2020+, lets get smart

There's a Michigan law that requires underground utilities to be updated [[if it is needed) when the roads are done. I'm having a hard time finding it with Google though :[[

The inner-ring Oakland County suburbs should be looking at implementing separated storm sewer systems as they do work. It would cost a lot of money, but do basement backups from a combined system.

Grosse Pointe Woods has always done this. When they redid my mom's road back in the 80's they replaced all the storm and sewers. They just went through and redid the roads again, this time doing the water mains and gas lines where necessary.

Meanwhile, when I lived in Warren, there would be 80-100 water main breaks a year, and I've seen them replace, maybe, one or two lines. Maybe they did more, but I didn't see it, and I would regularly drive across the entire city on my way to work. They replaced a good chunk of the roads one subdivision over and didn't touch the sewers or water mains.

What gets me is when a road is repaved in Detroit, and the next day a city department comes along and digs the street up. I see this time and time again. Show the ongoing lack of inter-departmental communications in Detroit.

Oakland County needs to separate its sewers
- one system for rain from the sky
- one unique system for toilet waste

It's only smart to tackle the problem head on, full force, and wisely.

We have PLENTY to worry about already in our drinking water
https://www.wxyz.com/news/new-state-...-water-systems

It's pretty damn clear where all the water goes Oakland/Macomb
https://redrundrain.files.wordpress....e-st-clair.jpg

I agree. I grew up swimming in Lake St. Clair. The water was clean. At least it looked clean. The beaches were clean. I'd never swim there now. It's a disgusting mess of sewage.

It makes sense to me that's because of all the sprawl that has headed North since then, where the sewers are not separated and the infrastructure is far from sufficient.

I know there's another long thread about this, but is that only a problem in Oakland county? What about Macomb? Anywhere else?

Grosse Pointe used to contribute to the problem, with combined sewers and strorm drains, and therefore occasional sewage overflows into the Milk River. But they fixed that. I'm all but certain that doesn't happen anymore.

People from Oakland County like to brag about how rich and great it is. Ok. But it's long past time for them to stop sh!tting on the other counties -- literally and figuratively.