Flood Response & Sewer Improvements
RECENT UPDATES:
WATCH: City Council Holds Sewer Workshop to Discuss Improvements
On Monday, November 8, 2021, the Midland City Council held a special meeting in City Hall Council Chambers, to discuss items related to our ongoing sewer improvement work. Topics of interest at this workshop included finalizing items on the Concept 5 Sewer Improvement Plan, the Footing Drain Disconnection Program (FDDP), and surface drains in the city. Check out the video above to watch.
October 2021 - Survey Crews Begin Data Collection for Concept 5 Improvements
Beginning in mid-October, a survey crew from professional engineering consultants Moore + Bruggink hit the streets for 7-8 weeks to collect photos and other data from several areas of the city. This data will be used to complete a topographical survey needed to begin work on Concept 5 items from the Sewer Improvement Plan in 2022. Features the crew will focus on include manholes, driveways, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, utility poles, catch basins, and utility access vaults, as well as capturing land elevation shots.
Curious about other updates? Scroll down to view the "Flood Response Updates: Year-by-Year Activities" at the bottom of the page.
Background of the 2017 Storm & Sanitary Sewer Study
During the flooding event on June 22-23, 2017 - which saw the second-highest recorded crest of the Tittabawassee River - thousands of residents within the City of Midland were impacted by surface flooding, flash flooding, and basement sewer back-ups. Although both the sanitary and storm sewer systems performed as designed during this event, they were inundated with water. Residents asked: Could this be prevented or mitigated in the future? The City decided to seek outside help to answer that question.
On October 16, 2017, Midland City Council approved a study of the City’s sanitary and storm sewer system to be conducted by a joint venture of engineering firms Hubbell, Roth & Clark (HRC) and OHM Advisors. HRC tackled the sanitary sewer study, while OHM conducted research on the City’s storm sewer infrastructure.
Final drafts of the 2017 Midland Sanitary & Storm Sewer Study were made available to the public on June 11, 2018, with the finalized report presented to City Council on Monday, September 10, 2018. You can access both documents and the executive summary, as well as supplementary materials below.
| Click to read Volume I: Executive Summary |
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| Click to read Volume II: Storm Sewer Study |
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| Click to read Volume III: Sanitary Sewer Study |
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In October 2018, City staff presented a series of recommendations for action based upon the consultants’ study findings, community feedback from the public input sessions, and additional field research and monitoring throughout the city.
Watch the video below (beginning at the 1:48:00 mark) to view the full presentation of these updates. A copy of the presentation is also available by clicking the button below the video.
| Click to view the full recommendations presentation (PDF) |
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2021
February 2021 - Council Holds Special Meeting to Discuss Sanitary Sewer Improvements
The Midland City Council held a special meeting on February 10, 2021 to discuss the 2021-26 Capital Improvement Plan and review proposed improvement to the City's sanitary sewer system as discussed at the December 21, 2020 City Council meeting,. Watch this meeting to see the proposed improvements outlined in specific detail and to hear Council discussion on these topics.
March 8, 2021 - Council Approves $30 Million in Improvements via Study Concept 5
On Monday, March 8, City Council accepted the recommendation of City Wastewater staff to pursue Concept 5, which was presented at the December 21, 2020 meeting, for sanitary sewer improvements. "Concept 5" includes a pilot footing drain disconnection (FDD) program in the Whitewood and Moorland pumping districts, along with infiltration and inflow prevention via pipe lining and pipe rehabilitation or replacement and manhole rehabilitation or replacement. This is anticipated to return the sanitary sewer system to a 25-year, 24-hour level of service for rain events in the Priority 1 areas, has the lowest legacy costs, and is the easiest to implement for the City in the long term. (A graphic breaking down these costs is shown below.)
In addition to this acceptance, an amendment was made that directed staff to up-size the offline storage proposal for the Sylvan pumping station from 150,000 gallons to 1,000,000 gallons and to isolate the overflow from the Sylvan pumping district into the Valley pumping district, which will increase the safety factor during flooding events.
This action sets the direction for improvements moving forward to allow for staff and consultants to finalize the design of the system improvements. Funding source(s) and an implementation schedule still need to be determined before these improvements can begin.
The Footing Drain Disconnect pilot program remains to be designed and accepted, as does the extent of the implementation of sewer lining and manhole rehabilitation outside of the Priority 1 areas identified by RedZone Robotics.
To view the presentation of this information and watch Council action, please reference the video above. Discussion begins at the 33:00 mark. Click the link below to see supporting documentation for this agenda item.
March 22, 2021 - Council Approves Additional $15 Million in Inflow & Infiltration Removal Work
Following approval of Concept 5 on Monday, March 8 and the discussion of Council's desire to pursue additional improvements for the sanitary and storm sewer systems, Wastewater staff went back to work and compiled information related to the reduction of additional inflow and infiltration (I&I) across the entire city. At its meeting on Monday, March 22, 2021, staff presented this information and offered a resolution to add this work - a total of $18.2 million in improvements, of which $3.2 million is currently budgeted under Concept 5 - to the scope of work for upcoming sewer projects. Following a presentation by City staff, the City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution that would add another $15 million in I&I removal projects to the existing $30 million project improvements approved at the March 8, 2021 meeting.
To view the presentation of this information and watch Council action, please reference the video above. Discussion begins at the 1:07:00 mark.
Overview map of existing I&I issue areas in the City
As with other areas of the approved scope of work, starting these improvements are dependent upon the identification of a funding source and the development of a firm timeline for all work approved by Council.
Click the links below to see supporting documentation for this agenda item.
May 24, 2021 - City Council Approves Draft Sewer Improvement Plan for Submission to Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy
Following the approval of Concept 5 sewer improvements by the Midland City Council in March 2021, City Wastewaster staff recommended that draft plans for work be submitted to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to seek project plan approval and open the door for possible low-interest loans to fund the improvements through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Strategic Water Quality Initiatives Fund. At the May 24, 2021 City Council meeting, the Midland City Council held a public hearing and subsequently approved this proposed project plan being submitted to EGLE by a 5-0 vote. This hearing only approved the project plan and did approve the execution of the project or funding at this point.
An E-CityHall topic was posted to collect public feedback ahead of the public meeting. Click here to read all 58 comments.
So what does this mean?
The purpose of this project is to improve the sanitary sewer collection system by increasing the sizes of certain sewers, adding off-line sanitary sewage storage, repair structurally defective sewer pipes, and disconnect footing drains from the sanitary sewer system in certain areas. This project will allow for the system to convey flows during a design rain event, which is a 25-year, 24-hour event, ultimately reducing the risk of surcharging sewers and basement backups.
A number of homes in the Moorland and Whitewood areas were identified as candidates for a possible footing drain disconnection program. While no concrete plans have been put into place for this program (including funding, timeline, etc.), residents in these areas can review the maps below to see if their properties could potentially be included in this plan. (Larger images can be found in pages 44-45 of the Draft Sewer Improvement plan.) It is the goal of the City of Midland that funding be secured through the proper channels so that the City is responsible for 100% of the cost of this program's execution, not the individual property owner.
The estimated monthly increase for the project to users having the most common meter sizes is approximately $8.06 per ¾-inch meter, and $10.48 per 1-inch meter. Larger meters will incur additional costs. These funds will be used solely for the payback of debt secured to fund the project.
Please note: The draft Concept 5 sewer plan is a large PDF file and may take time to download on slower connection speeds. A physical copy is available on file at the Midland City Clerk's Office for review.
June 21, 2021 - City Council Holds Special Meeting Workshop on Sewer Improvement Plan
On Monday, June 21, 2021, the Midland City Council held a working session to continue reviewing the City’s Sewer Improvement Plan with consultants from Moore + Bruggink. Topics of interest included Concept 5 planned improvements, a footing drain disconnection program, and financing options.
You can watch this meeting via the video link above. As this was a working session, no public comments were taken; however, residents may submit questions for follow-up via email at cityhall@midland-mi.org or via voicemail to the Citizen Comment Line at 989-837-3400.
August 2021 - City Council Approves Pilot Footing Drain Disconnection Program for Properties in Moorland, Whitewood Pumping Districts
At the August 9, 2021 City Council meeting, City staff and sewer study consultants presented the proposed framework for a pilot Footing Drain Disconnection Program for about 320 properties in the Moorland and Whitewood pumping districts. This program, as outlined in the Concept 5 Sewer Improvement Plan, would include disconnection of homes' footing drains from the City's sanitary sewer system, reconnection to the storm sewer system via sump pump, and the possible installation of a backflow prevention valve should the homeowner request one. All service work and items will be provided by the City and at no out-of-pocket cost to the homeowner.
Watch the video above (beginning at the 50:00 mark) to view the full presentation from staff, public comment, and Council discussion and decision. Click the link below to view a PDF version of the presentation that contains detailed information about the program.
August/September 2021 - City Staff Hold FDDP Program Info Sessions in Impacted Neighborhoods
WATCH: Moorland Pumping District FDDP Neighborhood Meeting
On August 31 and September 1, 2021, City staff held a series of informational sessions for residents in the Whitewood neighborhood at Northeast Middle School to discuss the Footing Drain Disconnection Program in more detail and to answer resident questions. On September 21, a similar meeting was held for residents in the Moorland neighborhood. A copy of the presentation given at these meetings is provided via the links below.
October 2021 - Survey Crews Begin Data Collection for Concept 5 Improvements
Beginning in mid-October, a survey crew from professional engineering consultants Moore + Bruggink hit the streets for 7-8 weeks to collect photos and other data from several areas of the city. This data will be used to complete a topographical survey needed to begin work on Concept 5 items from the Sewer Improvement Plan in 2022. Features the crew will focus on include manholes, driveways, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, utility poles, catch basins, and utility access vaults, as well as capturing land elevation shots.
November 2021 - City Council Holds Special Meeting to Discuss Sewer Improvements
On Monday, November 8, 2021, the Midland City Council held a special meeting in City Hall Council Chambers, to discuss items related to our ongoing sewer improvement work. Topics of interest at this workshop included finalizing items on the Concept 5 Sewer Improvement Plan, the Footing Drain Disconnection Program (FDDP), and surface drains in the city. Check out the video above to watch.
In September 2019, City Wastewater staff performed a series of upgrades to and surrounding the Valley Drive pump station located near the intersection of Valley Drive and Sugnet Road near MidMichigan Medical Center - Midland. Upgrades included a stormwater flow meter that will provide real-time data back to the Wastewater Treatment Plant to monitor flow rates and a remote variable speed drive system that will allow operators to change the pump’s speed remotely to better handle increases in flows. The area also received updated landscaping and a new stone retaining wall to improve the area’s aesthetics and protect the surrounding infrastructure.