Macomb County Takes Aim At Oakland Over 'Sickening' Raw Sewage Dumping

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 04/10/2025) Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller wants the state to ramp up its regulations of Oakland County's retention treatment basin for sewage, which she linked to "sickening" raw sewage dumping into the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair.

Miller sent a letter on Wednesday to Director Phil Roos of Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). The letter addresses the George W. Kuhn (GWK) Retention Treatment Basin, serving 14 municipalities in southeast Oakland County. 

EGLE is currently overseeing the permit renewal process of the basin. Miller wants EGLE to require that Oakland County studies and resolves its release issues as a condition for permit renewal. 

According to Miller, on April 3, the facility released 1.2 million gallons of raw sewage into the Red Run Drain, where treated water is supposed to flow from Oakland County's Madison Heights through the Clinton River in Macomb County. 

"(On April 4) my staff discovered that the GWK outfall was again covered in sanitary wipes, condoms, and tampons," Miller said in her letter to Roos. "The banks, trees and bushes were full of this sanitary debris. Also note the discoloration of the discharge. I am sure many more numerous waste products and floatables washed further downstream into the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair." 

Miller wants EGLE to enforce mandates that Oakland County notify her office of its discharges as well. 

"The GWK's Public Notification Plan, submitted to EGLE in March 2023 for their permit renewal, states they include the Macomb County Public Works Commissioner in their discharge public notices," she said. "Unfortunately, they no longer notify us, despite our frequent requests. The timely notification is critical for us to warn the affected downstream Macomb communities." 

Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), whose district borders Lake St. Clair, is accusing Oakland County of following a "troubling pattern" of routinely dumping 1.5 to 2 billion gallons of sewage overflow into Macomb County's waterways instead of modernizing its infrastructure.  

"While it was not easy, we here in Macomb have found the political will to work across party lines and across all levels of government to secure the resources necessary to build up our water infrastructure," Hertel said. "We cannot be the only ones committed to protecting Lake St. Clair. Oakland County must step up and take responsibility for the damage they continue to cause."