City Released Raw Sewage Into River

Prior to last January Ann Arbor was it times releasing untreated sewage into the Huron River, it was revealed Wednesday night. Fredrick Mammel, superintendent of the city's Department of Public Works, told an obviously stunned City Council that during peak sewage flows in the past untreated sewage has bypassed the city's waste water treatment plant, goïng directly into the river. Mammel made the statement in a report to council on a warning the Michigan Department of Health has given Ann Árbor to improve its sewage treatment operation. He outlined two proposed steps for accomplishing this which involve a 50 per cent increase in sewage rates for city residents. Mammel said in January the city was able to begin using the almost completed northside interceptor sewer system to store wastes during peak flows for treatment during lower flows. When asked how long the bypassing had been going on, he n o t e d the bypasses were probably installed when the current waste treatment plant was built. The points at which the raw sewage empty into the river were said to be downstream from Ypsilanti and thus below the water supply intake points. Noting council's reaction to the revelation, Acting City Administrator George R. Owers said the bypassing "may be getting more emphasis than it should." It occurred during short periods of time and was a "once in awhile, sporadic thing," Owers said. Mammel explained the bypassing took place when the flow of sewage to be treated reached around 26 million gallons per day. He also pointed out the bypass points were installed with mission from the state Health Department. Without the bypassing during high I flow periods "We would have been flooded away," Mammel said. The 50 per cent increase in sewer I charges to residents would pay for a I program of improving the inplant equipment at the waste treatment plant, and I would also finance the sale of sewer I bonds to permit expansion of the plant I capacity from the current 15 to 16 million gallons daily (mgd) to 21-mgd. The present sewer rate is 20VA-cents I for approximately every 750 gallons of I water residents use. Assistant to the Administrator Patrick Kenney said this would provide sufficient treatment facilities to meet anticipated demands until 1981 or 1982. Kenney noted the cost of the expansion I would be about $10 million. "we will be I exploring possible state and federal funding for this expansion, although preI - 1 I sent indications are that such funding I may not be forthcoming," he told council. Referring to the recent state warning the city to clean up its treated effluent, Kenney said: "If this (past four months) level of performance continúes, it is possible that the state may not allow the city to add to the local sewer system. While no indication to this effect has been expressed, it is also possible that this state agency will consider placing a ban on permitting any new sanitary sewer connections within the city." The state Health Department has for more than a year prohibited Ann Arbor from expanding its sewage system laterally into undeveloped areas. But the city has been permitted to allow new hookups to existing sewer lines. Muddying the picture even more is the hassle over the regional sewage treatment system, super sewer. Both MamI mei and Owers indicated local sewage plant expansión was tied up with the super sewer question, with state approval for the city to expand its plant being delayed until the regional issue is resolved. But Owers also noted the federal funding to Michigan for sewer construction has been cut, decreasing the liklihood of the city receiving financial help for expansión. Ann Arbor is about the 46th priority to receiving funding in the state, Owers said. When asked for other alternatives for obtaining state pemission for interim expansión until the super sewer issue is settled. Owers said Ann Arbor could bring suit against the state. The city has an application on file for a $25-million plant expansión to 33 mgd., Owers said, but he suggested this application might be scaled down to 21 mgd. for immediate relief. The addition of another five or six million gallons daily capacity at the million price tag would provide only I secondary treatment and not the I ferred tertiary treatment. Council was I also told if the interim expansión was I okayed now, it would take three years I for the addition to be operational. The reaction from council to all this I was centered around the revelation that I the city had been allowing raw sewage I into the Huron. Council members Gerald DeGrieck aind Richard Hadier I plained about a report to council in I ruary which quoted the state Health I Department as saying the city's sewage I treatment had improved. DeGrieck asked for a report from I ministration on what he called "the I delibérate withholding of information" about the sewage bypasses of the I ment plant. And even though DeGrieck said I tic action" was needed immediately, I Mammei said he could not recommend I the city stop issuing building permits.