Officials from Oakland and Macomb Counties, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) gathered today at the Northeast Sewage Pumping Station (NESPS) to celebrate the completion of a multi-phase modernization of the Oakland-Macomb Interceptor Drain Drainage District (OMIDDD) wastewater system. The event included a ribbon cutting, plaque unveiling, and a guided tour of the upgraded facility, recognizing the many teams whose expertise made this project possible.

The OMIDDD board is comprised of Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash, Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice S. Miller, and for most of the project, MDARD was represented by longtime Water Resources Program Manager Mike Gregg, who retired before its completion. Intercounty Drain Project Manager Joseph P. Brezvai now serves on the board and helped see the project through to completion.

“Infrastructure like this often goes unnoticed, yet it’s essential to our daily lives,” said Commissioner Nash. “This rehabilitation project is a major investment in our future and reflects our commitment to protecting public health and the environment by ensuring that future generations inherit dependable infrastructure.”

The NESPS arm of the interceptor was originally built in the early 1970s. Today it serves more than 830,000 residents across Oakland and Macomb Counties. With more than 7 miles of large-diameter pipe and significant pumping capacity, the system is a critical link to Southeast Michigan’s wastewater network. 

“The successful completion of this extensive and vital project is the culmination of a very effective partnership between Macomb and Oakland counties,” Commissioner Miller said. “Together, our staff engineers worked very closely and effectively with consulting engineers and several contractors as a team, and the results will benefit sanitary system users and ratepayers in both counties – and the environment – for decades.”

The rehabilitation represents $300 million in investments over the past 15 years, funded by communities in both counties to ensure the system can continue to provide safe and reliable service for the residents it serves.