Fraser sinkhole: Sewage to begin flowing through restored pipe

Sewer pipe collapsed Dec. 24, 2016

FRASER, Mich. – Sewage flow is being restored through the underground interceptor along 15 Mile Road nine months after residents on Eberlein Drive in Fraser got a horrible Christmas present. 

It was about 7:45 a..m. Christmas Eve when a home began to collapse. 

"As soon as we noticed that the sidewalk shifted, we thought that this can't just be the foundation of the hom," said Elizabeth Marentette. 

Marentette grew up in the home on Eberlein Drive. The home is now demolished. That's because on Christmas Day it was determined an 11-foot sewage pipe collapsed beneath it was leaking raw sewage. 

Since then, the race has been on to get to the collapsed pipe and fix it. It hasn't been an easy task considering the fix is 60 feet underground. 

Video inspections were able to give crews a better idea of what they were dealing with. They found the collapsed section was 280 feet long and another 130 feet needed to the replaced, too. 

There have been other challenges along the way. Just last month raw sewage leaked into the worksite and, while gross, there were backups in place and the problem didn't pose any setbacks. 

Tuesday is the beginning of the end, but there's still a lot of work to be done. The sewage will be flowing underground again, but 15 Mile Road has to be rebuilt. 

Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller called Tuesday's return to sewage flow a major milestone in the repair of the collapsed 15 Mile Road Sewer Interceptor.

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Here's an aerial view of the site on Sept. 26, 2017:


About the Authors:

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.