NORTHVILLE TWP., Mich. (WXYZ) — Residents on Fry Street in Northville Township say they have been dealing with ditches that won't drain for years, causing major headaches, and they have been struggling to get a solution.
Adam Harrison, a 5-year resident, says when it rains, it pours on Fry Street.
"It's just a lake here. It's got the green slime on top," Harrison said about the ditch full of water in front of his home.
Harrison says he and his wife, Tammie, have been dealing with the problem since they moved in 5 years ago.
"I have water in that ditch over 300 days a year," Harrison said. "I've got frogs in there, I've got tadpoles in there. I've got a couple of ducks that lay in there."
He says he and his wife have been constantly trying to get help from local officials to get the ditches cleared.
The Harrisons say they've made calls to Wayne County seeking help.
Marilyn Bardocz, who has lived on Fry Street for 34 years, says she has faced the same struggle.
"Me and my husband called many times," Bardocz said.
She says the water in the ditch has at times flooded her driveway and even entered her home.
"Constantly, there's water in there, and I've put tracks down. The water has nowhere to go," Bardocz said."My basement is getting cracks in it. I have flooding in my basement."
After years of frustration, residents want to know what has been done to fix the problem and when.
"Get it cleaned up. Get out here and dig the ditches and clean it up," Bardocz said.
I reached out to Northville Township, which says it has received numerous complaints about the ditching over the years and suggests residents reach out to Wayne County, which is responsible for maintenance in that area. The public works department says the drainage and ditching issue has resulted from decades of non-maintenance.
Wayne County says it has been to the area and is in communication with some residents. Officials say the main cause is aging infrastructure that wasn't designed for the increasingly frequent high-volume, low-duration rainstorms.
Officials say they have an enhanced maintenance project planned to remove sediment from the Sly Drain beginning this Wednesday. They plan to do additional ditching work later in the month.
"I hope they come and drill out the drains, fix the culverts and get it going to the creek where it's supposed to go," Tammie Harrison said.
You can read more directly from the Wayne County Department of Public Services about this issue:
Q: Residents there say they have been dealing with overflowing ditches, eroding driveways, and flooded front yards for more than two decades. Why might that be the case given the repeated addressing you have done?
A: Our existing, aging infrastructure is not designed to manage the high volume, low duration rain events that we are experiencing with increasing frequency. High water will occur as a result of these rain events despite the level of maintenance provided.
Q: Can you talk about what has been done to address the area since last fall. The claim from homeowners in that the area is that it has been neglected.
A: The Drain Office has also designed an enhanced maintenance project to address sedimentation within the Sly Drain. Weather permitting, this work has been scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 10. Ditching work will begin later this month. There may also be some issues that are the homeowner’s responsibility with blockages their driveway crossings are causing on the water flow. Additionally, personnel from Wayne County have been in communication with residents on multiple occasions, and they were notified about this week's upcoming maintenance. Wayne County also reviewed the site again on Friday, June 5, 2026. Previous site work including drain inspection, jetting tiles, obstruction removal, tree cleaning and ditching has been done based on service requests.
Q: How does the Michigan Drain Code of 1956, saying Wayne County can spend up to $5,000 per mile per year on routine drain maintenance without a formal petition impact you if at all.
A: We have good news on this front. Recent amendments to the Michigan Drain Code have more than doubled the amount of allowable routine maintenance that can be performed without a petition. This has allowed us to design and implement a sediment cleanout project that will begin on Wednesday, June 8. Residents should understand that the cost for maintenance work performed on the Sly Drain will be assessed back to the landowners in the Drainage District.
—
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
