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Heavy rain sends sewage into Clinton River in Macomb County

Areas experience record flooding

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The drains in Clinton Township really didn’t stand a chance Monday night.

“I was going to start today off with, ‘Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.' Unfortunately, it rained,” said Clinton Township Supervisor Bob Cannon. “Parts of Clinton Township didn’t get any rain at all. We had record-breaking rain here yesterday."

That rain ruined Tuesday’s anticipated good news. Many people expected Cannon and other leaders in Macomb County to announce the final steps to end the sanitary sewage overflow, but Mother Nature drenched that announcement.

“The intense, record-breaking rain from last night shows us there is still some work to do. We have invested in this community, over $34 million, to design a sewer system that meets the requirements of the DEQ, which is now called the Department of Environmental Great Lakes and Energy," Cannon said. "The manhole castings that come up to the street surface are not yet in place, so that’s what caused the problem."

That problem caused record flooding all over Macomb County, especially in the Golden Road area.

"We couldn’t have anticipated that, and it had to pick the worst kind of spot in the township to pour that kind of rain," Cannon said.