HARRISON TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - The Macomb County Health Department says the slimy, stinky sludge that has washed ashore along Lake St. Clair is algae and poses no public health threat.
Heath officials say lab tests and visual analysis indicate the substance is decaying algae with E. coli counts that present no imminent public health hazard and are not indicative of raw sewage.
Residents along the lake in Harrison Township called and complained about the slime earlier this week.
The sludge popped up after more than 800 million gallons of treated combined sewer overflows from Macomb and Oakland counties were discharged in local waterways following heavy rains the weekend of Jan. 11.
"We have to stop putting combined sewer overflows, even though they are treated by the city, they really are not optimal for the health of our Great Lakes," Macomb County Drain Commissioner Candice Miller previously told WWJ.
Miller said the state believes as long as the sewer overflow is treated before it is discharged, all is fine. "Which I very much disagree with," she added.