Study Approved to Explore Cause of May Flooding in Northville

The residents of Allen Drive and Novi Street in Northville may soon have answers about the that is said to have caused after a .

The residents asked the City Council in August to look into monetary compensation and a study of the sewer and storm water system. On Monday night, the council approved a $20,000 contract with Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.

OHM will be charged with the task of figuring out how the flooding occurred. According to city documents, that will include:

• Smoke testing to determine if there are "significant inflow sources" that could be identified and removed.
• "Using a survey crew to determine the elevations of the sewer manholes as well as basements in the area. In addition, the consultants will interview Department of Public Works staff working during the May 25 rain event, gather rain data and obtain Wayne County flow metering data."
• Analyzing the capacity of the city’s sanitary sewer system in the area affected by flooding.
• "Providing alternatives with cost estimates to address and resolve this issue for unusual rain events in the future."
• Presenting the City Council with findings from the study.

No other bids were sought in order to speed up the process, said Public Works Director Jim Gallogly.

“We didn’t competitively bid out because we typically use OHM for water and sewer issues,” he said.

Around the same time, Livonia, Dearborn and other cities in Wayne County had similar flooding issues, said Councilwoman Nancy Darga.

Previously, the city had said that its insurance company could not cover the cost of the damages.