Metro Detroit is built over drained wetlands. The region, and its combined sewer system, face repeated strain from aging infrastructure, fluctuating river levels, heavy rainfall, and rapid development.
A changing climate worsens the problem: It’s raining more in Southeast Michigan.
Precipitation levels across the Great Lakes region have increased by 15% over the last seven decades, according to research by Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA), a climate partnership. GLISA developed models that forecast increasing average air temperatures and precipitation in Michigan…