Sable the drain sniffing dog didn’t bark much when he was checking storm drains in Suttons Bay on March 20. Sable is trained to detect the scents of human waste and detergents. He didn’t find much of either.
“We were looking for the low-hanging fruit, the problems that are easy to identify and fix,” says Sarah U’Ren, Program Director. “If there’s an illicit connection to the storm drain system, we can stop it. If there’s a leaking sanitary line, we can fix it.”
So E. Coli levels at Suttons Bay’s two swimming beaches aren’t being caused by human waste from leaking sanitary lines or illicit connections. However, it’s entirely possible that animal waste is responsible. Sable is trained to detect human waste, not animal waste. It’s possible that raccoons in storm drains, waterfowl near the beach and doggy doo-doo on lawns are causing elevated E. Coli levels at the swimming beaches.
This project with Environmental Canine Services is the first step in the Watershed Center’s $987,000 project to repair storm drains in Suttons Bay. It helped rule out other potential E. Coli sources that the new design might not take into consideration. Funding comes from EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Current plans include smaller, decentralized water filtering areas to decrease the amount of runoff coming out of pipes. This involves installing attractive rain gardens along roads, at intersections, and up the hill from M-22. “There will be more opportunities for water to infiltrate into the ground rather than getting into a storm drain pipe,” says U’Ren. Other solutions include porous pavement that readily absorbs runoff and underground filtering trenches in alleys.
There will still be two pipes that require treating runoff before it is released. The Broadway Street drain will be abandoned and connected to the Madison Street drain. “We’re still looking at whether we can discharge runoff into the wetland near the marina with some kind of pretreatment to remove trash and dirt,” says U’Ren. A rain garden will be installed at the Grove Street drain.
The ultimate goal is to keep families safe from bacteria at swimming beaches.
URS is the subcontractor in charge of on-the-ground work. Design is already underway, and construction may begin this fall. The Watershed Center is working closely with the Village of Suttons Bay on this project, which is in conjunction with other park, TART trail and road improvements.
You can see more photos of Sable the drain sniffing dog on Facebook.
Please join us for an opening reception on Thursday, May 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. Leelanau Women Artists will captivate you with art quilts, paintings, sculpture and basketry. 
