John Erb: Detroit can take the lead in green infrastructure

The recent Detroit Free Press series on Lake St. Clair was well-timed. Many of our waters are under threat, not just Lake St. Clair. Mucky green algae is not only spoiling Lake St. Clair, but also Lake Erie, Green Bay, and Saginaw Bay to name a few. At times, the algae can become so toxic it defies treatment, shutting down drinking water systems as in Toledo in 2014. Locally, in addition to Lake St. Clair, combined sewer overflows pollute the Detroit and Rouge Rivers. But crises typically present opportunity. As recognized in Thursday’s installment, green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is a promising solution. And GSI is not just a solution to water quality. Its triple bottom line benefits can beautify our communities, create jobs and improve our health and quality of life.

Like some parts of Oakland County and other urbanized areas, Detroit operates a combined sewer system, meaning that stormwater runoff and sewage both drain into the same set of pipes. In the event of heavy rainfall, the water running through the pipes can exceed the system’s capacity, backing up into basements, flooding streets, and discharging untreated stormwater and wastewater into rivers. These discharges are called combined sewer overflows (CSOs). 

But something as simple as a residential rain garden can be part of the solution. Bioretention gardens on vacant lots can be, too, as can bioswales — linear rain gardens —  along roadways, bike lanes and parking lots, along with green roofs, street trees, and pervious pavement. These natural and beautiful landscapes soak up rain water and filter it back into the groundwater, keeping it out of the storm drains thus reducing the strain on the combined sewer system. 

In addition to the environmental benefits, GSI saves money by serving as a substitute for more costly human engineered solutions, such as underground storage tunnels and treatment centers (gray infrastructure). Over the past 20 years, the City of Detroit has spent $1.5 billion on such gray infrastructure to reduce overflows and is now turning to GSI to avoid paying another billion. It is changing the way it charges customers for drainage (a sewerage charge that has been on water bills since 1975) so that it will be based on the property’s impervious surfaces that contribute to the combined sewer system, and it is developing a green credit program to encourage customers to install green stormwater infrastructure.

Some early adopters in Detroit are demonstrating the benefits of GSI. Almost 50 rain gardens have been planted in Detroit neighborhoods over the last few years through a collaborative program of the Sierra Club, Friends of The Rouge and Keep Growing Detroit called Rain Gardens to the Rescue. Residents and community groups attend a series of classes together and then plant their gardens as a group effort. Locally produced compost and native plants are used to help build wealth in the community as well as beauty. 

Businesses small and large and municipalities are getting in on the act, too. Detroit Farm and Garden in southwest Detroit, Ford’s Rouge Plant in Dearborn and the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center downtown have installed green roofs. Green roofs are an obvious solution for commercial buildings since they last twice as long as conventional roofs and bring down heating and cooling costs in addition to managing stormwater. 

And these are just a few examples of this growing trend in Detroit. With land abutting our lakes and rivers and more than 600,000 creative and resilient residents, Detroit has an unprecedented opportunity to become a leader in demonstrating the role green stormwater infrastructure can play in creating a healthier more prosperous city. 

John M. Erb is president and chairman of the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation.