Sterling Heights to build $5.3 million odor‑control facility disguised as a house near Dodge Park
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Summary
City officials described a federally, state and county‑funded $5.3 million project to install activated‑carbon biofilters and a large extraction fan in a 2,000 sq ft building near Dodge Park/Sorrento to reduce sewer gas odors; construction expected to start in spring with no immediate ratepayer increase.
Sterling Heights officials on Dec. 3 detailed a capital project designed to reduce recurring sewer‑gas odors in a neighborhood near Dodge Park and Sorrento.
City Manager Mark Vanderpool and department staff described an underground interceptor about 11 feet in diameter that runs beneath Dodge Park and 15 Mile Road and said years of infrastructure work has included odor‑control improvements. The proposed solution is a roughly 2,000 square‑foot structure, intentionally designed to blend with the neighborhood and appear like a house. Inside will be an activated‑carbon vessel to scrub odorous air, and a 14,000 CFM fan and ductwork that will draw sewer headspace air through the filter before exhausting it safely via a chimney.
Vanderpool said the project is approximately $5.3 million and that most construction will begin in spring; he described progress securing federal, state and county funding so there will be no immediate rate increase for ratepayers tied to these projects. Two additional vent‑improvement locations on 15 Mile Road near Sterling Heights High School and an opposite site are scheduled for next year.
Public outreach will precede construction to notify local residents about staging and equipment access. Vanderpool asked residents to expect some early equipment deliveries over the winter and said the finished facility should appreciably reduce local sewer odors.
The council received the briefing as part of the city manager’s report and did not vote on the project’s final authorization during the meeting.
