Illicit Discharge Elimination Program
An illicit discharge is the introduction
of polluting materials into a pipe that drains to surface water
or the dumping of polluting material that can impact surface water.
This is a broader definition than the "classical" definition of
sanitary plumbing fixtures connected to a storm sewer. The Rouge
Project found there were a number of illicit discharges that were
adversely impacting water quality. Examples found in the Rouge River
watershed include toilets connected to storm sewers, laundry waste
discharging to a drain, swimming pool backwash water discharging
to a storm sewer or situations where polluting material can move
over land to a storm sewer.
The monitoring data on the Rouge River suggested that illicit discharges
were contributing to high bacteria counts during dry weather in
several parts of the watershed. Further water quality testing found
consistently high levels of fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria
upstream of locations that had combined sewer overflows and in several
locations where there were no municipal sanitary systems. Because
of the potential threat to public health, a great deal of effort
is being placed on regulating illicit discharges.
Based upon the above findings, the Rouge Project and the three
counties in the watershed initiated an illicit discharge elimination
program (IDEP). The focus of the program is the elimination of illegal
discharges in the watershed from illicit connections, illegal dumping,
and lack of awareness. The IDEP directly results in the annual removal
of significant quantities of raw sewage and other pollution that
pose a threat to human health and aquatic life.
Wayne County has developed a training program to assist local communities
and counties in implementing their own IDEP.
Illicit Discharge Elimination Program
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