Brief History of Detroit
The city of Detriot can be said to have originated from the French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac’s establishment of a fort on the banks of the Detriot River in 1701. By the 20th century, it became known as the automobile capital of the world, as well as known for its Motown music. According to the city’s website, musicians such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokie Robinson, Michael Jackson, the Temptations, Diana Ross, and others all either grew up or gained their first fame in Detroit. The proximity to major water sources has appeared crucial to the city’s rise.
What relationship does Detriot have with its water sources? How it is collected, managed, & dispersed?
Physical Features of Detroit’s Water Resources
Based on the data collected by Weather Spark, the city received a moderate amount of rainfall. The precipitation in Detroit in 2022 was not evenly distributed throughout the whole year. According to the daily precipitation graph in 2022, a seasonal precipitation trend is observed. A great percentage of precipitation is concentrated from April to June. Precipitation measures were relatively low in the winter months.
Detroit is located in a watershed area that has a shallow aquifer with clay and sand layers. The aquifer is on impermeable clay layers that don’t allow water to pass through. And the water flows in layers of sand and goes towards the southeast, where it enters the Detroit River. The groundwater is approximately 1 to 3 meters below the surface, which is close to human activities, and because of short distances, it can quickly expose people to contaminants.
Regional Drinking Water Supply
The City of Detroit relies on three regional water sources for its supply. The first two, Lake St. Clair & the Detriot River, are major contributors, whereas the last source is a combination of its tributary streams and rivers. The most notable is the Rouge River. As indicated in a Geologic Survey report by the US Department of the Interior conducted in 1950, Lake St. Clair and the Detriot River supply nearly 98% percent of the total 2,896 million gallons per day (mgd) used by the city. Tributary streams, rivers, and inland lakes provided less than 2% of the daily supply of water for the city.
First, Lake St. Clair is part of the Lake Erie water basin and sits between the St. Clair River and the Detroit River. Its size is an estimated 430 square miles in surface area with an average depth of 11 feet. This makes it much smaller and shallower than the Great Lakes, however, it is one of the most used lakes in the area. Areas of Canada and Michigan rely on the lake, as well as the Detroit River for drinking water. In addition, the lake and its coastal regions provide a habitat for various species of fish, reptiles, and birds. The lake itself plays host to one of the largest fisheries in the world.
In addition, the Detroit River is approximately 32 miles long and connects Lake St.Clair the upper Great Lakes to the lower Lake Erie below. It also has the unique status of being an international boundary between the United States and Canada. The river has been key to regional growth and settlement in the area as it served as a major source of drinking water and industrial water use for development. However, the river has also received untreated waste discharges from industrial use, as well as stormwater runoff from nearby urban development which has historically polluted the river. Lastly, the Rouge River is approximately 127 miles long. It flows southeastward and empties into the Detriot River below Dearborn near the area of Ecorse.
Infrastructure: Drinking Water, Wastewater & Sewer
Drinking water historically for the city has been handled by The Detriot Water and Sewage Department (DWSD). Serving more than 200,000 Detroit residential and commercial accounts within a city of 680,000, DWSD is one of the largest water and sewer utilities companies in the United States. DWSD mainly relies on two sources to provide water, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair. To access water from the Detroit River, the department uses intake structures located at Belle Isle and then treats the water at the Northeast and Springwells treatment plants. Water from Lake St. Clair, which is sourced near the city of Port Huron, is treated at the Lake Huron Treatment Plant before being supplied to the DWSD system. DWSD’s water network consists of more than 2,700 miles of transmission and distribution mains and nearly 3,000 miles of sewer collection piping. According to their city website, the City of Detroit began leasing regional water and sewer infrastructure, as well as water and wastewater treatment facilities, to the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) on January 1, 2016.
In terms of the sewer system, wastewater collected from the GLWA sewer service area is all treated at one facility, the GLWA Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF). This facility is located at 9300 W. Jefferson Avenue and has the status of the second-largest single-site wastewater treatment facility in North America. Raw sewage is captured into the WRRF by two interceptors, the Detroit River Interceptor, which collects sewage from the eastern service area, and the Oakwood Interceptor, which collects from the western service.
What major water-related issues do Detroiters face the most?
Water Leakage From Older Pipes & Housing Stock
In Detriot, an aging housing infrastructure contribute hurts city residents as they contribute to potential water leaks that can increase their water bills. Some of the city’s oldest homes were built between 60 and 80 years ago, with some having been built more than 80 years ago. Since older homes typically require larger and more expensive levels of investment to maintain, water leaks in these homes can be costly to the homeowner to repair. For example, low-income residents who live in aging homes face the added expense of paying for a costly water bill due to water leakage from older pipes or faucets. As a result, those unable to pay or gain appropriate assistance in time face economic water scarcity as they encounter the threat of water shutoffs at their residence. The challenge the city faces is addressing leaks from aging homes and housing infrastructure in a matter that is more proactive than providing more water bill assistance payments to customers in the long run. This challenge is especially critical for water affordability and neighborhood stability in Detroit.
Water Scarcity from Inadequate Residential Plumbing
Some of the housing stock in the city contains inadequate residential plumbing which that makes it challenging to access hot and cold running water This is either a lack of a functioning bathtub or shower or a sink with a faucet. This is critical because it limits the access a resident has to water for drinking, bathing, and cooking As much as 16% of the city’s population in 2021 had incomplete plumbing. With this in mind, the city faces a challenge in addressing home repair upgrades that can help provide broader access to running water altogether to households that previously have difficulties.
High Water Bills Caused By Large Sewage & Drainage Charges
While water usage among city residents, and even water leaks may contribute to high water bills, the driver of the cost is the combined sewer system. As one of the 19 customers of the Great Water Lakes Authority, the city is charged its “Sewer Share” for the removal of wastewater they contribute to the system. While this sounds appropriate, the rate GWLA charges ends up being calculated based on volume and Detriot’s combined sewer and wastewater system ends ups costing the city much higher rates compared to the rest of the GWLA customers. To understand this inequity much further, Detroiters account for 25 percent of GLWA’s sewage customers, yet they are paying nearly 40 percent of the regional sewage budget of GLWA. For the residents of Detriot, this translates to their water bills where they are paying three-quarters of their monthly bill to sewer and drainage services.
Population decline has also compounded this water burden even further as the remaining 632,000+ citizens cover the cost of a combined sewer system that is built to serve 1.8 million people. The city faces the challenge of fighting for regional equity sewer and drainage rates in rates in the distant future, but more importantly, capturing stormwater runoff before it enters the CSS to mitigate high water bills in the immediate future. Creativity in how the city approaches handling stormwater management will also be needed so that the city doesn’t add another bill to the residents and future citizens.
Residential & Nuisance Flooding Caused by Combined Sewer System Overflows
Climate change is anticipated to bring about more intense rainfall and will impact various ecosystems and the recreational activities associated with them, such as increased flooding events. The effects of climate change are already apparent in the City of Detroit. Trisha Stein, the Chief Strategy Officer responsible for overseeing Detroit’s sustainability initiatives, stated she pointed to two 100-year floods that occurred within a few years of each other. In June 2021, Detroit suffered its second flood, an event that typically happens once every 500 years. In just five hours, half a foot of rain inundated the city, resulting in the flooding of thousands of homes with water and sewage.
The DWSD system also faces heightened stress during spring, summer, and fall due to the increased precipitation levels. The increasing warmth in the atmosphere allows it to hold approximately 4% more water per Fahrenheit degree. This is a bad sign for Detroit’s sewers, which are over a century old. They were designed with a serious flaw by combining sewage treatment lines and stormwater runoff into one pipe, which leaves the system vulnerable to reaching max capacity on heavy rain events. For example, the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) reported that on August 2, 2020, a single rainfall event caused 500 million gallons of rainwater to flood the sewer system in just two hours. This has led to some basement flooding and neighborhood street flooding when specific areas of the system become overwhelmed. Although sewer pipes typically accommodate the excess water, the water treatment plant struggles to keep up during days of heavy rainfall. Even Detroit’s largest treatment facility, designed to manage 400 million gallons of waste daily, can be overwhelmed during these times. Unfortunately, these flooding heavy rain occurrences are projected to continue in the future due to climate change, thereby exacerbating Detroit’s flooding issues and struggles with CSO events. This challenge will only become more formidable to address as time goes on.
Why should decision-makers focus efforts on tackling Detriot’s water affordability concerns?
In Detroit, concerns about water affordability loom large because of the city’s high poverty rate. Significant increase in Detroit’s water bills in recent years. Many residents are forced to choose between paying their water bills and meeting other basic needs, such as food and housing. This has led to widespread water outages, further exacerbating the problem by denying residents access to clean and safe drinking water. Nearly half of the city’s residents pay more than 3 percent of their income for water, which is above the common benchmark for water affordability. These issues have prompted efforts to improve financial assistance to low-income households impacted by the web of issues that impact their ability to pay their water bills.
New Detroit City Lifeline Program
We’ve come up with an upgraded Detroit Lifeline program based on the original Lifeline plan of the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department. While keeping the existing benefits from the plan, we want to develop the new program with some new benefits.
First, expand the city’s wastewater treatment capacity with the help of financial funds. The city could seek funding from federal or state sources, such as grants or low-interest loans. The councils of Detroit can consider several options to improve their infrastructure. One potential approach is to invest in upgrading existing treatment facilities and installing new equipment or technology to increase their efficiency and capacity. In the face of climate change and more frequent storm events, increasing the efficiency of the infrastructure is a wise decision to prevent environmental damage caused by CSO. Another possibility is to build new treatment plants in areas where existing facilities are overwhelmed, such as the suburban areas outside metro Detroit. Southeastern Michigan’s wastewater has been treated by the city’s only GLWA wastewater treatment plant, a heavy burden that has led to problems such as basement and surface water flooding. Decentralizing the pressure to the suburbs, like increasing treatment facilities, can address these problems. These funds could also be used to build more capable sewer tunnels in the city, which improve the ability of Detroit to handle heavy storms.
Secondly, sponsor home plumbing repairs and water infrastructure improvements in Detroit. Partnering with local utilities and plumbing companies to provide low-cost or free inspections, repairs, and upgrades to older homes and buildings can be an effective way to promote preventative maintenance and identify and address issues before they become major problems. These inspections could include checking for leaks in pipes, fixtures, and appliances, and providing recommendations for repairs or upgrades. In some cases, repairs or upgrades may be provided at low or no cost to homeowners, such as through a subsidized program or as part of a larger infrastructure improvement project. Investing in smart water metering technology can also help identify leaks and unusual water usage patterns in homes and buildings. These meters can detect even small changes in water flow rates and alert homeowners or utility companies to potential issues, such as leaks in pipes or appliances. This can help residents identify and address problems quickly, potentially preventing costly damage and improving overall water conservation efforts. Detroit could allocate funds towards decreasing neighborhood impervious surfaces and flood protection, such as through the installation of rain gardens, green roofs, and permeable pavement. By reducing stormwater runoff and improving drainage, the city could help prevent water damage and reduce the burden on aging infrastructure.
In addition, expand the eligibility of the Detroit Lifeline program to include people who have special hardships, such as loss of job and serious illness, and renters. It ensures that more residents have access to affordable and reliable water services. The program could establish clear criteria for special hardships, such as unemployment or serious illness, to ensure that assistance is available to those who truly need it. These criteria could be reviewed periodically to ensure that they remain relevant and up-to-date.
Besides these elements, there are several existing benefits included in this program. Upon enrollment in the program, the participant’s past due balance is completely erased, and they begin with a zero balance. The program offers a tiered all-in monthly bill amount of $18, $43, or $56 based on the participant’s income, and allows up to 1,125 gallons of indoor water usage per household member per month. Furthermore, the participant may qualify for plumbing repairs of up to $2,000 based on a water audit.
Declaring Water As A Basic Human Right
For the expansion of the lifeline plan to happen first, there are critical steps that need to happen on from the state of Michigan. First, there needs to be legislation passed by the state that declares “clean, potable, and affordable water” a basic human right in Michigan Law. Currently, there are a few states that have enacted legislation that equates water to a basic human right. States such as Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and California have taken this towards ensuring that every human being has the right to clean, safe, affordable, and accessible water that is everyday uses such as for drinking, cooking, and sanitary purposes. Enacting this in legislation also has the effect of influencing policies, programs, and various budgets to towards the goal of water for all.
In June of 2022, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bills 5890, 5891, and 5892, which in total, seek to expand access to clean, safe water for Michigan communities. Governor Whitman’s office notes that the passage of these bills will provide over $2 billion to upgrade drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater facilities across Michigan, and will support over 30,000 good-paying jobs in the state. This is a tremendous achievement for the state, especially for Detroit’s aging combined sewer system and older leaking water pipes.
Following this momentum, Michigan should continue the momentum and support it has for water-related issues in the state with two critical actions:
- Pass a bill that declares clean, potable, and affordable water as a basic human right in Michigan Law. This would make solving water-related issues a top priority in the state, not just for this administration, but for the foreseeable future.
- Next, the state should establish a statewide Water Affordability Fund to address communities that are impacted by water-related challenges that aren’t directly solved through large infrastructure investments. This statewide fund could be supported by allocations from general state tax revenue.
For cities such as Detroit, a sustainable grant fund would provide a level of opportunity to pursue more comprehensive solutions to water-related challenges such as water affordability. For example, a statewide fund could be used to support our proposed interventions that expand services for the current lifeline plan water affordability plan.
Anticipating Challenges and Limitations
It’s challenging to gain local and state support for adding a surcharge fee to existing water bills. Implementing a water affordability fund through surcharges on high-income water users to support low-income households can face several challenges. Firstly, it may be difficult to determine who qualifies as a high-income user and how much of a surcharge they should pay. There may be concerns about how to ensure that the surcharges are proportional to income, as well as the potential for administrative costs to outweigh the benefits. Furthermore, the program may face opposition from those who believe that all users of the water utility should pay equal rates regardless of income. Another challenge is that the program may be difficult to sustain in the long term as surcharges may not be enough to adequately fund the program. Overall, implementing a water affordability fund through surcharges on high-income water users will require careful consideration to ensure that the program is both effective and equitable.
In addition, having only one wastewater treatment plant in Detroit and the suburban areas poses several difficulties. Any disruptions or failures at the plant could lead to significant wastewater overflow, which could negatively impact surrounding ecosystems and communities. Furthermore, the distance between the plant and more remote areas may make it challenging and expensive to transport wastewater for treatment. Managing impervious surfaces in suburbs can also be difficult, as they can exacerbate stormwater runoff and contribute to flooding and water pollution. Impervious surfaces prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground, instead causing it to flow rapidly across the surface and carry pollutants and debris with it. This can lead to erosion, degraded water quality, and increased risk of flooding. Implementing green infrastructure, such as rain gardens and permeable pavement, can help to manage stormwater runoff and reduce the impact of impervious surfaces, but it may be challenging to retrofit existing suburban landscapes. Additionally, there may be concerns around costs and maintenance of green infrastructure and ensuring that it is appropriately designed and installed to effectively manage stormwater.
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