How the Program Operates

Once areas are identified for the program, a letter is sent to the facility owners or operators to alert them that their facility has been selected for an illicit connection inspection. Field personnel obtain permission for testing, and inspection appointments are made. A field crew determines the location of storm and sanitary sewer manholes and identifies the locations of all plumbing fixtures in the facility to be tested. A trace dye is placed in the plumbing fixtures, and a downstream manhole is monitored to locate the tracing dye as it moves through the sewer line. If the test dye is not seen, all storm sewers in the area are examined for the presence of the dye.

If an internal plumbing fixture is connected to the storm sewer, discharging to surface water, or discharging to the ground, the facility is informed of the violation. The facility is given 90 days to respond to this violation. Following this period, the fixtures are retested. An extension may be granted if the business or property owner provides a written description of the corrective actions that will be done and the associated time frame.

Another area of concern that is evaluated during the field inspection is general housekeeping practices. When the field crew is visiting a facility, they consider such issues as proper storage of hazardous materials, and where cleaning equipment (such as floor washers) is emptied. The program attempts to eliminate any source of pollutants entering the storm sewers, the ground or surface waters.

Please address all comments and suggestions about the contents of this Web page to rougeweb@co.wayne.mi.us.

The Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project is funded, in part, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Grants #XP995743-01, -02, -03, -04, -05, -06, -08 and C-264000-01.