How Copper Scrappers May Have Caused Freeway to Swallow Cars

Copper thieves may be partly to blame for major highway flooding that swallowed hundreds of cars during metro Detroit’s historic downpour Monday.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is looking into report that the theft of copper piping may have undermined the effectiveness of the pumping stations designed to clear water from Detroit-area freeways, WWJ and the Associated Press report.

MDOT spokeswoman Diane Cross told Crain’s Detroit Business the copper thefts weren’t discovered until the systems failed. The pumping stations are used only when necessary and are not staffed around-the-clock.

Copper thefts have compromised the pumping stations in the past, but so far, the investigation hasn’t conclusively shown that copper theft was an issue, the Detroit Free Press reports.

“We’re still investigating to see if copper theft was an issue,” MDOT spokesman Rob Morosi said.

The main culprit appears to be near-record rainfall. Storm water is normally discharged into rivers, streams or underground sewage systems, but those systems were overwhelmed during the storm.

“When you are pumping it into a system that is already compromised it doesn’t have anywhere to go,” Morosi told the Free Press.

But there’s no denying that copper scrapping is a significant problem in metro Detroit – causing everything from utility outages to vandalism to some of the area’s most historic assets.

In April, Gov. Rick Snyder signed anti-scrapping legislation that imposes a waiting period before scrappers can be paid for copper and other materials sold for scrap.

____

PHOTO: Copper theft is a pervasive problem in the Detroit metro. (Patch file photo)