The Macomb County Department of Public Works replaces the rotted pipe with a new 18-inch-diameter concrete pipe.
By: Kara Szymanski | Shelby-Utica News | Published October 29, 2024
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Underground infrastructure replacement has taken place in Shelby Township after the report and removal of rotted corrugated metal pipe that had collapsed in an enclosed stretch of the Dunn Drain Branch D near 22 Mile Road in Shelby Township.
The location of this completed project is south of 22 Mile, just west of M-53, behind houses on the south side of Silverlake Court.
Norb Franz, the communications manager for Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice S. Miller, said that sometimes the Public Works Office finds that crumbling underground infrastructure is wider than expected.
“In May, we reported about the removal of rotted corrugated metal pipe that had collapsed in an enclosed stretch of the Dunn Drain Branch D near 22 Mile Road in Shelby Township, and replacement with 400 feet of new 18-inch-diameter concrete pipe after homeowners reported that water shot out of a manhole during rain events last spring, causing lasting ponding,” he said.
During the replacement, they discovered that the pipe joint just west of the existing manhole had become separated and probably was leaking for several years.
He said the contractor handling the pipe replacement subsequently removed the mortar bag collar from around the joint and replaced it with a concrete collar.
“Once the ground had sufficiently dried following multiple heavy rainstorms, the site was restored with topsoil, grass seed and straw mulch. The grass has been growing well in the repaired area just west of the M-53 freeway,” he said.
The project was funded by the Public Works Office’s cost sharing program, in which total costs are split between the county and using funds allocated by the Board of Commissioners and the local community.
Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller said that stormwater managers sometimes discover additional infrastructure problems after starting a project.
“We appreciate that homeowners who reside along the drain that’s under our department’s jurisdiction noticed there was an initial issue and brought it to our attention,” she said.
County Commissioner Sylvia Grot, R-Clinton Township, said she would like to thank Miller, a Republican, for the project in Shelby Township.
“It will greatly benefit the residents and improve their quality of life. I am happy to be a part of this project with Commissioner Miller,” she said.