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Lodge highway flooding tied to water upgrades from regulator
The organization in charge of regulating the region's water systems is working on upgrades at its treatment plant. But the project has led to flooding on the highway and unclean water at dozens of homes and businesses in Detroit.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - It isn't severe weather or a broken water main that has flooded the Lodge highway this week.
Instead, work from the regional water authority has stirred a chain reaction that has disrupted travel and worsened water quality for dozens of people and businesses in downtown Detroit.
Big picture view:
Flooding on one of Detroit's busiest highways started after the Great Lakes Water Authority began upgrades on its Water Works Park Treatment Plant.
According to the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, the improvements require flushing hydrants to clear the system. The deputy director said the regulator needs to change the direction of flow from time to time.
But the decision backfired, causing flooding on the Lodge, shutting the freeway down for hours.
"It wasn’t that much water, but unfortunately, the basins underneath Huntington Plaza are blocked," Sam Smalley said.
The basins are monitored by the Michigan Department of Transportation. Smalley said DWSD dispatched crews to help clear the basins out.
While DWSD is not the cause of the problem, it is now the home of 50 to 60 water quality complaints. That's because the water quality at businesses like Harbortown and the Renaissance Center has worsened.
"Basically we see the impact from Water works Park to Woodward up to Lafayette," Smalley said. "That’s kind of the boundary of area that’s been impacted,"
Why you should care:
According to Smalley, the water quality tests are coming back okay.
That includes exams for bacteria and chlorine. The department is working to fix the cloudiness that's coming up in the water.
While fixes are on the way, anyone with water quality concerns is advised to report it.
The Source: Interviews with DWSD were used for this story.