March 25, 2024 – Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Notification
On March 22, 2024, the Bay County Department of Water and Sewer experienced a Sanitary Sewer Overflow just north of M-13 and Anderson Road in Fraser Township, MI. At 8:25am the Department got a call about water running from the ground along the west side of M-13 near 503 N. Huron Rd. By 9:10am Department employees confirmed that the discharge was sanitary sewage and cleanup began. Upstream industrial users were asked to cease discharge into the force main and Department staff began removing standing water from the site. The leak was caused by an old residential connection to the sewer, and repairs to the line were completed by 9pm that evening. It is unknown how long the force main was leaking before being discovered, but it is estimated that at least 3600 gallons of sanitary sewage overflowed, with some of it flowing via ditches to Gregory Drain. Both the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Bay County Health Department have been notified.
For any additional information regarding this event, please contact the Department of Water and Sewer at 989-684-3883 or email at helpdesk@baycodws.org.
March 20, 2024 – Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Notification
At approximately 12:25 PM on March 19, 2024, the Bay County Department of Water and Sewer experienced an SSO about a quarter mile south of M-13 and Erickson Road in Fraser Township, MI. Department employees had taken the 6” force main on the west side of M-13 out of service to flush it with municipal water as part of their regular preventative maintenance program.
During the flushing process, a cleanout attached to the force main thrust upward from the pressure, allowing approximately 9,000 gallons of water to overflow from the cleanout manhole and onto the ground over a 45-minute period. The vast majority of the overflow was comprised of municipal water that was being used to flush the line. No surface waters were affected, and there is no perceived threat to public health and safety. The force main cleanout has been repaired and all standing water from the overflow has been removed by the Department of Water and Sewer. Both the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Bay County Health Department were notified.
For any additional information regarding this event, please contact the Department of Water and Sewer at 989-684-3883 or email at helpdesk@baycodws.org.