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City to update stormwater ordinance to align with state MS4 permit; council sets public hearing
Summary
Detroit Water and Sewerage Department told the Public Health and Safety Committee it will amend city code to align with the state's MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) permit requirements; committee moved the ordinance to new business for a public hearing.
Detroit Water and Sewerage Department officials told the City Council Public Health and Safety Standing Committee on Monday that the city must update its code to align with state requirements for municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) and to clarify permitted stormwater discharges.
“Nik?,” Deputy General Counsel Nikkia Branchkinson began, and DWSD staff explained the proposed changes, which DWSD said have no anticipated adverse impact on residents. “We are looking to update the MS 4 portion of our ordinance. So the city of Detroit does have an NPDS MS 4 permit,” said DWSD engineer Anna Timmis. “An MS 4 is a municipal separate storm sewer system,” the presentation added.
DWSD said the changes respond to an audit by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). Proposed code updates would add an MS4 definition, prohibit sanitary sewer connections to storm sewer pipes with limited exceptions, and prohibit dumping sewage into storm sewers. The amendments would also allow properties that hold state-issued permits to discharge stormwater directly to the Detroit or Rouge rivers, provided they meet state permit requirements for pollutant control.
Council Member Scott Benson asked whether properties that discharge directly into the rivers must be on the riverbank. DWSD confirmed state permits are limited to properties abutting the rivers and that permit holders must manage stormwater to avoid pollution. Benson said the change reduces pressure on combined sewer capacity and helps reduce basement and street flooding.
The committee voted to send the ordinance to new business with a recommendation for approval and to set a public hearing. Branchkinson and DWSD staff said a public hearing date will follow; a related cross-connection ordinance (addressing backflow and plumbing connections) is already scheduled for public hearing May 19.
DWSD emphasized the changes aim to align local code with state regulatory language and to reduce the risk of illicit discharges into storm drains that flow directly to the Rouge and Detroit rivers.
