FRASER, Mich. – Macomb County officials held a news conference Wednesday to reveal what really caused the sewer collapse and sinkhole in Fraser that destroyed homes and took months to fix.
The Macomb County Public Works Office hired a national expert to find out what caused the sinkhole. The expert said it was an accident that could have been avoided.
Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller was very frank in describing the 2016 Christmas Eve sinkhole.
"It was really human error," Miller said.
The national expert said a contractor doing repairs on the Oakland-Macomb Interceptor District made a mistake in May 2014.
Now, the Macomb Interceptor Drainage District will be filing claims against insurance companies, looking to recoup the $75 million spent fixing the damage.
Macomb County residents are already paying an average of $25 more per year to pay for the repairs. Miller said if officials recoup the $75 million, she'll first look to see what other infrastructure repairs need to be made before discussion lowering the bond rates.
You can watch Nick Monacelli's full story in the video posted above.