Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner outlines lead line, green infrastructure and asset-management priorities

The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s office presented its annual report to the Board of Commissioners, summarizing 2024 investments, ongoing projects and near‑term priorities.

The presentation said the office oversees roughly $18.4 billion in water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure across the county and manages more than 200,000 assets and 3,500 miles of mains. Commissioners heard that the office currently lists 39 significant active projects with combined budgets above $626 million and that the office has obtained more than $83 million in grant funding over the last three years.

Why it matters: county staff told commissioners the program focuses on five core outcomes—public health and safety, preservation of natural resources, uninterrupted drinking water, economic prosperity and financial stewardship—and that accomplishing those goals depends on using state and federal grant dollars to limit ratepayer costs.

WRC staff described asset management and technical upgrades. Carrie Cox, manager of a regional systems unit, said the office is using GIS and a maintenance management system (CityWorks) plus an asset‑optimization layer to prioritize capital work and maintenance. Brian Coburn, manager of business operations, said the office invested about $9 million in upgrades to control systems in 2024, including hardware replacement and multifactor authentication for remote access that staff said improves reliability and data access.

Lead service lines in Pontiac were a central topic. County staff said Pontiac has about 19,500 service lines and estimated roughly 5,000 lead service lines remain; the office estimated a rough total replacement cost of about $35 million for those lines. The presentation noted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s revised Lead and Copper Rule requires replacement of all lead service lines by 2037; county staff said they’ve replaced nearly 1,000 lines in Pontiac since 2019 and have secured principal‑forgiveness grant funding of $7.5 million from the State of Michigan toward replacements.

On green infrastructure, staff detailed the Norton Street (Augusta Drain) project in Pontiac, a $1.3 million Clean Water State Revolving Fund award that the county said did not require a local match. The project will install bioswales and rain gardens in a neighborhood strip along Norton Street; staff said two public outreach events informed plant selection and amenities, and that a maintenance path planned at the site could be incorporated into a future trail connection to the county campus. Commissioners praised public outreach and asked that the county seek broader recognition for the work.

Staff also discussed coordination with road agencies to avoid repeated excavation and reduce costs, citing examples such as planned coordination with MDOT on projects including M‑59 lining and corrective actions on 8‑Mile and the Woodward Loop. Officials said better coordination can reduce total project costs and public disruption.

Commissioners questioned the timeline and logistics for lead line replacement. A commissioner asked whether the 2037 deadline was achievable; county staff said the timetable is manageable in principle but the larger challenges are financing the work and securing sufficient trained crews to perform replacements at the required scale.

Several commissioners asked about a public dispute with neighboring Macomb County over permit compliance at a downstream treatment facility. The presentation said county staff are operating within their permit and that routine sampling shows levels below state action thresholds; county officials also described the permit‑reissuance process as ongoing and said they are responding to public comments through the state process.

The board voted to receive and file the Water Resources Commissioner’s annual report.

Looking ahead: staff said they will continue to seek grant funding for service‑line replacement and green infrastructure, coordinate projects with road agencies, and expand public outreach for residential incentive programs that have shown strong early interest.