Concept 5 Sewer Improvements

Please note: For a history of the City's Storm & Sanitary Sewer Study following the 2017 & 2020 flooding events and all flood-related work completed to date, please visit the Flood Response page. This page discusses the Concept 5 Sewer Improvement Plan only.

What is Concept 5?

The Concept 5 Sewer Improvement Plan is a $48 million project designed to address sewer and lift station capacities during wet weather events in the city. Through this work, we aim to reduce clean water infiltration into the sewer system and basement backups into residents' homes in impacted areas of the city. This project will allow for the system to convey flows during a design rain event of a 25-year, 24-hour event, ultimately reducing the risk of surcharging sewers and basement backups. The work done through Concept 5 will not mitigate overland flooding or basement flooding from non-sewer sources.

Given the history of flooding events, particularly the devastating events in 2017 and 2020, this project is a critical component to addressing current and future infrastructure needs and protecting the health and safety of residents and their property. The Concept 5 Plan was approved by the Midland City Council in March 2021. Click here to watch the meeting (discussion begins at the 5:30 mark).

Construction bids for the first phase of improvements were awarded by the Midland City Council on August 22, 2022. Click here to watch the meeting (discussion begins at the 2:05:00 mark).

Click the button below to read the Concept 5 Sewer Improvement Plan (PDF). Continue reading or scroll down to view project updates for 2023 and beyond.

What's Involved in Concept 5?

Click the image above to view a larger map

Concept 5 will improve the sanitary sewer collection system through a variety of projects including increasing the sizes of certain sewers, adding off-line sanitary sewage storage, repairing structurally defective sewer pipes, and disconnecting footing drains from the sanitary sewer system in certain areas.

The map listed above is a tentative timeline of key elements in the Concept 5 Sewer Improvement Plan. The larger map and box in the top left corner provide details on infrastructure improvements including new pipe installation, existing pipe lining and repair, and the installation of a 1 million-gallon underground storage area at the Sylvan pumpstation. Use the legend in the top right corner to see the projects color-coded by estimated implementation year. The smaller callout boxes detail phasing and property boundaries for two Footing Drain Disconnection Programs (FDDP) in the Moorland and Whitewood neighborhoods.

Citywide Sewer Lining Project

Project Start Date: November 2022
Estimated Completion Date: December 2023
Purpose: Remove inflow & infiltration from sanitary sewer network; Extend infrastructure lifespan

Beginning in November 2022, crews from Insituform will install cured-in-place pipe lining in City sewer lines that is intended to repair existing cracks, reduce inflow and infiltration (I&I), and extend the overall life of the sewer system.

Lining crews began working in the northwest corner of the city and will move from west to east in quadrants until all areas have been completed. Ahead of lining placement, crews from Monchilov Sewer Services will clean City sewer lines to prepare the area for work. This process is estimated to take approximately 12 months to complete.

Contractors will be communicate directly with residents in areas where the work is being performed. Residents will receive a door hanger (below) from the contractor before work is performed.