Sewage issue in Grand Rapids

[seagull4]

How to we overcome the bad image our city has received as a result of the sewage overflows on the Grand River ?

[GRDadof3]

Grand Rapids is already in process of a massive 20 year sewage separation project to separate storm sewers from sanitary sewers. I think it's more than 90% of the way through. Heartwell talked about it in his State of the City Address.

Other info:

EPA Report

Everything you ever wanted to know about Combined Sewer Systems but were afraid to ask..

[Allison Slater]

I'd imagine the river's already cleaned up quite a bit if fishing is going on there frequently..

[MJLO]

well I think alot of that would have happened anyway, since we are past the era of industry on the water. EPA and stuff have changed a great amount since the days of open dumping in water. But i'd imagine the Grand still may have a couple two headed trout left.

[Rizzo]

I have fished on the Grand downtown for a long time. For the most part I'm happy to report that some of thoes preceptions are false. Go down to the Fish Ladder and ask one of the many fishermen what they think about how dirty the Grand is. Also, ask if they eat the salmon and steelhead they take out, you'll be supprised.

It's not just Grand Rapids, its Lansing and Jackson too. Grand Rapids is bound to get the brunt of it because its down river.

[seagull4]

I have fished on the Grand downtown for a long time. For the most part I'm happy to report that some of thoes preceptions are false. Go down to the Fish Ladder and ask one of the many fishermen what they think about how dirty the Grand is. Also, ask if they eat the salmon and steelhead they take out, you'll be supprised.

It's not just Grand Rapids, its Lansing and Jackson too. Grand Rapids is bound to get the brunt of it because its down river.

We need to focus on fact that the sewage facility is downriver to the fish ladder. We send our problem downriver to Grand Haven and Spring lake. Just over the last couple of days they reported millions of Grand Rapids sewage sent downriver again.We have to be good neighbors.

[snoogit]

Sewage, makes sh*t sound so pleasant Hey look ma! corn is floating in the river!

If I remember right it was going to take a decade or two to really get the river back to full health again.

[Rizzo]

This sounds like one of many threads about GR's Sewage on Mlive.

We need a clean river, but the problem is on GR and everyone else. It would seem to me that a cooperative effort among all cities that are on The River is a must.

[GRDadof3]

We need to focus on fact that the sewage facility is downriver to the fish ladder. We send our problem downriver to Grand Haven and Spring lake. Just over the last couple of days they reported millions of Grand Rapids sewage sent downriver again.We have to be good neighbors.

Did you miss the first reply to your question? All of the cities along the Grand (Grand Ledge, Lansing, GR and I think Portland too) are working to separate their sewer lines. The reason there are overflows is not because of where the treatment plant is, it's because when we get large rainstorms, the combined systems dump everything together, and the sewage gets carried to the Grand River with the rain run-off. They know the solution, but it's taking $350 Million and twenty years of construction to complete it.

Of course, that was all in the links I provided....

[TigerTown87]

To be fair, its not exclusively a GR problem. All the other cities along the Grand River need to work towards the same goal as well. Once its finally done, the river can clean itself out VERY quickly. It wouldn't take long at all. It could build a great fishery. That's what I'm hoping for. I'm gonna be NAILING the Salmon in Muskegon in a few weeks. I can't wait!