DETROIT – The Detroit Water and Sewer Department is adding 24 bioretention gardens in the Brightmoor area to reduce flooding.
For the longest time, Michael Newson has had to deal with flooding from sewage surrounding his home in Brightmoor.
“We’re always flooded on this street,” said Newson. “It’s always trash. You can smell it through the night. You can smell it through the day. It’s tough to keep our door open because the water, it just stands, and it’s like a marsh out there sometimes.”
But now all that’s changing thanks to a multi-million dollar project that will help residents see fewer sewer overflows.
“We’re going to install 24 bioretention practices to manage stormwater throughout this area,” said Lisa Wallick with DSWD.
Wallick called it the Fenkell Stormwater Projects, that’s aiming to reduce flooding and basement backups. Blackstone Street will also look completely different.
“We will remove a portion of this Blackstone Street between Midland and Keeler about 460 feet, and it will manage over 2 million gallons of stormwater annually,” Wallick said.
Overall, the bioretention gardens will directly benefit about 100 homes nearby and many others around one specific body of water.
“Everybody along the rouge river will benefit from reducing the amount of untreated combined sewage from discharge into that river,” Wallick said.
“If it’s good and it’s going help the community, I’m all for it,” Newson said.
Construction will start in 2024.