Project: Western Townships Utility Authority--Lower Rouge Equalization Basign Expansion Project

Sponsor: Joe Alberts, NTH

Joe Zitterman, Eric Tenazas, Tim Hooper

  These basins collect water during storms and store them until the waste treatment facilities can catch up to the demand.  The rainwater needs to be treated rather than released into the rivers because sewerage often unintentionally gets mixed with the rain water.  These basins are very large and go deep into the ground.

This image shows the area where rain and sewage are often found to be combined.

The results of the soil investigation are at the right.  The basin will be very deep, nearly to the depth of the rock.

The rock is saturated with water.  The water was pressurized like in oil wells.  If the excavation go too close to it, the water would blow out and ruin the site.  Therefore, during construction the water will have to be pumped out.  Afterwards water will flow back in from the areas surrounding it.