Washtenaw County Water Resources Commission to determine the most efficient way to keep drainage operational.
Washtenaw County officials are looking to more efficiently keep operational drains that are vital to handling stormwater runoff. 500 drains, totaling 800 miles, help to reduce the threat of flooding across the county. Over the next two years, all of these drains will be inspected, and a manual developed, to indicate how frequently they will need to be checked in the future.Water Resources Commissioner, Evan Pratt, attested it is much like doing routine maintenance on a vehicle to avoid higher costs in the future. Pratt says different types of drains will be treated differently. Pratt says "where we've got pipe systems it would involve televising with regular frequency, maybe on a three to five year basis."
Pratt states they will also determine the appropriate frequency to check storm water ponds and open ditches. The County will receive state grants to help pay for the asset management program.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter— Andrew Cluley is the Ann Arbor beat reporter, and anchor for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him acluley@emich.edu.
