CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice S. Miller held a news conference Friday afternoon about the collapse of the 15 Mile Road drainage interceptor in Fraser.
Macomb County residents and businesses in the 11 communities affected by the Fraser sinkhole were asked Thursday to restrict their water usage after sediment plugged the collapsed sewer line along 15 Mile Road. The line has been under repair since the collapse on Dec. 24, 2016.
READ: Macomb County to divert some sewage into Mount Clemens water treatment plant
The communities affected are Fraser, Sterling Heights, Utica, New Haven, Chesterfield Township, Shelby Township, Clinton Township, Harrison Township, Lenox Township, Washington Township and Macomb Township.
Miller was joined by elected leaders of the 11 impacted communities that make-up the Macomb Interceptor Drain Drainage district, which owns the collapsed pipeline.
Watch part of the conference here:
Fraser Mayor Joe Nichols also spoke -- watch:
Engineers noticed Thursday morning that the flow of sewage through the interceptor had decreased. When they investigated the issue, they found the entire 11-foot diameter of the interceptor blocked, with only seepage continuing down the line.
Here are pictures of the blockage below:
Existing bypass lines along the sinkhole route are able to accommodate only dry-weather sewage flow, officials said.
As little as a quarter-inch of rain could cause an "unavoidable release of sewage into the Clinton River," officials said.
Watch the report from Thursday night:
Crews will use disinfectant materials and booms to try to mitigate the environmental impact if the sewage is released into the river, but they wouldn't completely eliminate the impact on the river, which flows into Lake St. Clair.
"I cannot stress enough: We have no capacity in the system for any additional sewage flow," Macomb County Public Works commissioner Candice Miller said. "The situation is dire and we are at the mercy of Mother Nature until we can get the temporary bypass lines in place, which is still a month away from completion."
Residents and communities are asked to:
- Reduce the length of showers
- Flush only solids in the toilet
- Run only full wash loads
- Don’t run water while brushing teeth
- Run full dishwasher loads only
Macomb County will update the the latest developments in connection with the Fraser sinkhole Friday afternoon.
WATCH: Fraser sinkhole: The ticking time bomb of Macomb County
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