Engineering and Construction Division

Joseph P. Kozma, P.E., Deputy and Manager
248-858-0958

The Engineering and Construction Division of the Oakland County Drain Office staffs professional engineers and technical personnel who provide a variety of services regarding stormwater management including the following.


Project Management and Engineering
Under the provisions of the State Drain Code, through municipal petition or citizen initiative, storm drain facilities can be established as a County Drain. Once established, staff members through the Drain Board manage the construction of all improvements and changes to these systems. New water and sanitary sewer facility construction is likewise managed by our staff upon request from the local municipalities. Team members review plans for all new subdivision plats, new mobile home developments, and other parcels within designated drainage districts in Oakland County to ensure that adequate storm drainage facilities have been proposed in the engineering plans for the development.

Environmental
The Environmental Team manages the federal storm water permit program for Oakland County. This involves coordinating with other Oakland County agencies and the sub watershed groups and communities within the five major watersheds in Oakland County. In addition, this team spearheads the public education efforts required under the federal permit and oversees the implementation of the County Illicit Discharge Elimination Plan. They serve on numerous technical committees, public advisory councils and boards relating to environmental concerns and water quality. They also coordinate grant application and administration for OCDC grants and provide technical support on construction projects.

Inspection
This team is responsible for a variety of inspections associated with drain, sewer and water system construction or involvements. Inspections include major construction projects, drain permits, sewer and water system extensions and house lead connections, as well as handling customer concerns. The inspector is present to ensure new facilities are properly constructed, that the integrity of the existing system is maintained, and that proper compliance with federal, state and local laws and ordinances are observed.

Right of Way/Survey/Miss Dig
These three operations are intertwined. The primary purpose of our Right of Way team is to deal with the acquisition of easements for the construction of storm drains, sanitary sewer systems and water supply systems. Easements for these projects are obtained by contacting individual property owners and reaching an acceptable agreement. The survey crew does the surveying for the construction layout of county drains, sewers and water projects, thus keeping costs down. Our Miss Dig group identifies the location of water lines, sewer lines and drains. They stake the existing utility either with flags or by painting the ground. Locating the underground infrastructure helps minimize the risk of damage during construction activities.

Soil Erosion
This team issues soil erosion permits for construction activities to control soil erosion on behalf of many communities in Oakland County. They provide materials, inspections and related services to developers and others to protect our lakes, streams and wetlands from the effects of soil erosion and sedimentation.

Lake Level Control
OCDC is the delegated authority to operate and maintain certain lake level control structures at designated Oakland County locations. Fifty-three lakes in Oakland County have court ordered lake levels, regulated by 35 control structures and 8 augmentation pumps.

Lake Improvement Boards
Our office staff serve as one of the five members on designated Lake Improvement Boards. At present there are 47 Lake Improvement Boards in Oakland County.