Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner's Office

The Office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner is responsible for the design, construction, and operation and maintenance of over 500 storm water management and flood control systems (County Drains), for emergency flood response, maintenance of seven court set lake levels, for financing drain projects through sale of notes and bonds, managing Drain financial accounts, and for recovering costs of operation by levying special assessments on private property, local government, and others who benefit from drainage and storm water management improvement projects.

The Office also publishes design standards for storm water systems (Rules of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner), and reviews and issues approval to plans for private storm water systems in new developments and redevelopments.

Our responsibilities also extend to soil erosion and sedimentation control, public works programs, and other water quality protection programs.

Activities include the implementation of the federally-mandated NPDES Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) Permit Program, watershed plan development and implementation, and a wide range of public education and involvement programs, including Community Partners for Clean Streams, the Riversafe Homeowner's Program, Raingarden Grant Program and others.