Report on Water Pollution

in the
-......- ,-- - -----..-r-- ---. ------------ -----------------

---- - =---....--...... ---- - -----.. - --.. ----------- . . ...----

FLINT RIVER

U NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTE RIOR

FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ADMINISTRATION
GREAT LAKES REGION

DECEMBER -1966

REPORT ON
WATER POLLUTION IN THE LAKE HURON BASIN
FLINT RIVER

DECEMBER 1966

U.S. DEPARTM ENT OF THE INTERIOR

Federal Water Pollution Control Administration
Great Lakes Region
Detroit Program Office
U.S. Naval Air Station
Grosse Ile, Michigan

PREFACE
This document was assembled by the Detroit Program Office, Federal
Water Pollution Control Administration, with the intention that it be used
together with information from other sources to develop a comprehensive
plan for water pollution control in the tributaries of the Lake Huron
Basin.

The intended purpose of the plan would be to restore the usefulness

of these waters for recreational purposes, provide a more suitable environ

ment for fish and aquatic life, and enhance the value of this resource.

It

would improve the quality of the area's waters for municipal and industrial
purposes, aesthetic enjoyment, and other beneficial uses.

DETROIT PROGRAM OFFICE

GREAT LAKES -ILLINOIS RIVER BASIN PROJECT

DRAINAGE

0 NT- A R I 0

BASINS

OF THE

GREAT LAKES

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ADMINISTRATION
GROSSE ILE, MICHIGAN
GREAT LAKES REGION
SCALE IN
!10

50

MILES
100

I 00

QUEBEC
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IOWA

--------

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ILLINOIS

PENNSYLVANIA

200

6. MICHIGA N TRI BUT ARIES

I, SAGINAW RIVER
2, CASS RIVER

3. !'LINT /'flVER

4. SHIAWASSEE RIVER
5. T ITTABAWASSEE RIVER

TO SAGINAW BAY
7. MI CHI GAN TRIBUTARIES
To LOWER LA.KE HURON
8. AU SABLE R IVER

9. THUNOE R BAY RIVER

10. CHEBOYGAN RIVER

II

12. MISSISSAGI RIVER

13. S PANISH RIVER
14. WANAPITEI RIVER
15. FRENCH RIVER
16. MAGA NATAWAN RIVER
17. M USKOKA RIVER
18. SEVERN RI VER
19. SAU GEEN. RIVER

eo.

MAITL.ANO RIVlfR
21. AU SAS L'E RIVER

SCALE

IN

MILES

o
DETROI T P ROGRAM OFFI CE
GREAT LAKES ILLINOIS RIVER BASIN PROJECT

LAKE HURON BASIN

U.S. DEPAR TMENT OF THE I NTERIOR.
FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONT ROL A DMINISTRATION
G REAT LAKES REGION
GROSSE ILE, MICHIGAN (

........ .......

LOCATION PLAN

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SAGINAW
BAY

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LEGEND

Flint River

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LAKE HURON PROGRAM OFFICE .

GREAT LAKES -ILLINOIS RIVER BASIN PROJECT

DRAINAGE'. BASIN
SAGINAW RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES
f'[O[RAL WAT[A ,oLLUTION CONTROL AOWINISTIUftON
tR-IAT llKE$ R[GION
IAOSSE IL[, IIIICHIOAN
U.S. DEPARTW.[NT or THt tNTf.:RIOR

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.

INTRODUCTION

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Description of Area
Climate
Hydrology

WATER USE

18

Municipal Water Supply

Industrial Water Supply
Water-related Recreation

SOURCES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF WASTES

25

Municipal
Industrial

POPULATIONS AND WASTE LOAD PROJECTIONS

35

DESCRIPTION OF WATER QUALITY

41

Physical and Chemical

Microbiological
Biological

DISSOLVED OXYGEN PROJECTIONS

59

SUMMARY AND WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS

69

LIST OF TABLES
Table No.

Page No.

Flint River Drought Flows

Flint River Sampling Stations

Municipal Water Supplies

10, 11
12
20, 21

Owner and Treatment Code (for Table 3)

22

Industrial Water Use

23

Municipal Water Use Projections

24

Flint River Mun icipal Waste

31

Flint R iver Industrial Waste Inventory

Waste Flow Projections

37

,BOD5 Projections

38

10

Flint River Water Quality - 1965

Average Concentrations

47

11

Dissolved Oxygen Fluctuation - Station

48

12

Flint River - Seasonal Nitrate-N

Concentration

49

13

Flint R iver - 1965 Total and Soluble

Phosphate Concentrations

14

Flint R iver Water Quality - 1965

Average Concentrations

51

15

Flint River - Total and Fecal Coliform

Densities

52

16

Flint River - 1965 Total and Fecal

Coliform Density Statistics

53

17

Flint River - Loadings for Match Run 1965 Model

62

18

Flint River - Water Quality

X240

Notes for Water Quality Tables

ii

32, 33

so

77-80
81

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure No.

Page No.

Flint River Basin

Time of Passage

13

Flow Duration Curve - Flint River near

Flint

14

Flow Duration Curve - Flint River near

Fosters

15

Drainage Area vs River Miles

16

Location of Sampling Stations

17

Municipal and Industrial Waste Outfalls

34

Municipal and Industrial Waste Flow

Projection Area

39

Population and Municipal Waste Flow

Projections

40

10

Dissolved Oxygen and BOD

54

11

Nitrate Concentrations

55

12

Total Phosphate

56

13.

Tota1 Solids and Chlorides

57

14

Total Coliform Densities

58

15

Dissolved Oxygen - Computed Profile

63

16

Kjeldahl Nitrogen and Ultimate BOD Computed Profile

64

17

Computed Dissolved Oxygen Profiles Effect of Temperature and Loadings 1965 Summer Survey Flow

65

18

Computed Dissolved Oxygen Profiles Effect of _Temperature and_ Loadings 7 Day Once-in- Ten Year FlBw

66

Computed Dissolved Oxygen. Profiles Effect of_Temperature and Loadings -1 Day Once-in-Ten Year Flow

67

),.

19

iii

LIST OF FIGURES
(cont'd)
Figure No.
20

Page No.
Computed Dissolved Oxygen Profiles Effect of Temperature and Loadings Augmented Flow

iv

68

INTRODUCTION
AUTHORITY
Comprehensive water pollution control studies were authorized by
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 195 6, as amended (33 USC 466
et seq.).
Sec. 3. (a) "The Secretary shall, after careful investi
gation, and in cooperation with other Federal agencies, with
State water pollution control agencies and interstate agencies,
and with the municipalities and industries involved, prepare
or develop comprehensive programs for eliminating or reducing
the pollution of interstate waters and tributaries thereof and
improving the sanitary condition of surface and underground
waters. In the development of such comprehensive programs due
regard shall be given to the improvements which are necessary
to conserve such waters for public water supplies, propagation
of fish and aquatic life and wildlife, recreational purposes,
and agricultural, industrial, and other legitimate uses. For
the purpose of this section, the Secretary is authorized to
make joint investigations with any such agencies of the condition
of any waters in any State or States, and of the discharges of
any sewage, industrial wastes, or substance which may adversely
affect such waters."
Sec. 5. (f) "The Secretary shall conduct research and
technical development work, and make studies, with respect
to the quality of the waters of the Great Lakes, including
an analysis of the present and projected future water quality
of the Great Lakes under varying conditions of waste treat
ment and disposal, an evaluation of the water quality needs
of those to be served by such waters, an evaluation of muni
cipal, industrial, and vessel waste treatment and disposal
practices with respect to such waters, and a study of alternate
means of solving water pollution problems (including additional
waste treatment measures) with respect to such waters."
Initiation of the Great Lakes-Illinois River Comprehensive Program
Activity followed an appropriation of funds by the 86th Congress late in
1960.

In accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Secretary of

Health, Education, and Welfare delegated the responsibility for the study
to the Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control of the Public
Health Service.

Passage of the "Water Quality Act of 1965" gave the

1

responsibility for these studies to the Federal Water Pollution Control

Administration (FWPCA).

As a result of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1966,

the FWPCA was transferred from the Department of Health, Educaton, and
Welfare to the Department of the Interior effective May 10, 1966.
PURPOSE
This report presents the water quality of the Flint River, Michigan
as it exists today, and includes predictions of population, water use,
and waste load trends for future years.

Its purpose is to present informa

tion that can be used as a basis for developing a basin wide water
pollution control program.
The objectives of the FWPCA are to enhance the quality and value of
the Nation's water resources, and to prevent, control, and abate water
pollution through cooperative local, State, and Federal pollution control
plans.
SCOPE
The area covered by this report is the Flint River, Michigan.

The

study of the Flint River was conducted by FWPCA on the 60 miles between
the City of Flint and the confluence of the Flint and Shiawassee Rivers.
These two rivers, together with the Tittabawassee and Cass,Rivers, form
the Saginaw River which flows 22 miles to Saginaw Bay.

Similar reports

are being prepared for each of these rivers.

ORGANIZATION
The Detroit Program Office, located at the Naval Air Staion, Grosse
Ile, Michigan, began collecting water quality data on the Flint River
in 1965.

Its staff include specialists in several professional skills,

2

including sanitary engineers, hydrologists, chemists, biologists, and

bacteriologists.

The resources of the Robert A. Taft Sanitary Eng ineering

Center at Cincinnati, Ohio have been utilized, and assistance and guidance
have been obtained from the Great Lakes-Illinois River Basins Project,
Chicago.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Detroit Program Office has received the cooperation and assistance of local, State, and Federal agencies, as well as interested
individuals.

The principal agencies taking an active part in providing

assistance in the preparation of the report are as follows:

State Agencies

Federal Agencies

Michigan Water Resources Conunission

Michigan Department of Public Health
U. S. Department of Commerce
Weather Bureau
Office of Business Economics
Bureau of Census
U. S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Commercial Fisheries
Bureau of Sports Fisheries and Wildlife
Bureau of Outdoor Recreation
Geolog ical Survey
U. S. Department of Defense
Detroit District., Corps of Engineers
Lake Survey, Corps of Engineers

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LAKE HURON "PROGRAM OP',iCE

GREAT LAKES - ILLINOIS RIVER BASIN PROJECT

FLINT

RIVER BASIN

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Description of Area
The Flint River Basin occupies most of Genessee and Lapeer Counties
and portions of Shiawassee, Saginaw, Tuscola, and o'"akland Counties.

The

Flint River is one of the four main tributaries of the Saginaw River
drainage system which drains an area of 6, 260 square miles.

The Flint

River drains an area of approximately 1, 454 square miles:

The basin is irregular in shape, with the greatest length approxi
mately 55 miles, and the greatest width approximately 35 miles, narrowing
to about 5 miles near the mouth.

It is bounded on the north by the

Cass River Basin; on the east by the Black, Belle, and Pine Basins; on
the south by the Clinton and Shiawassee Basins; and on the west by the
Shiawassee River Basin.

Major tributaries include the North Branch and

the South Branch along with Kearsley Creek, Thread River, and Misteguay
Creek.
The North and South Branches of the Flint River originate in Lapeer
County and join to form the main stem.

The river then flows generally

southwesterly about35 miles to the City of Flint, at which point it

flows northwesterly to the Saginaw River.

The last five miles flow

through a cutoff canal.

The portion of the basin upstream from the City of Flin.t consists
of rolling morainic features interspersed with ancient lake beds.
Numerous small lakes in this area drain into the Flint River system.
Downstream from Flint the river flows through the bed of glacial Lake
Saginaw, which extends to Saginaw Bay.

Flint, the largest city in the basin, and third largest in Michigan,
is a large automobile manufacturing center.

Lapeer, the second largest

city in the Flint River Basin is an agricultural and dairy center, and
home of light industry.
Climate
The climate of the Flint River Basin conforms to the general weather
pattern that exists in the entire lower Great Lakes area.

There are wide

seasonal var iations in temperature, many storms, and the yearly precip i
tation distribution rema ins fairly constant.

In the winter this

precipitation ,i. usually in the form of snow.

The air masses moving

toward Michigan are heated in the winter and cooled in the summer by the
waters of the Great Lakes, which nearly surround the State.

This results

in a more moderate climate than is experienced to the west and southwest

of Michigan.

The mean yearly temperature is about 45 F, while the mean summer

and winter temperatures are about 68 F and 23 F, respectively.

There

is an average yearly precipitation of 30 inches on the basin, of which 60

percent can be expected to fall during the six month period of May through
October.
Hydrology
Above Columbiaville, the slope of the stream averages about six feet
per mile, and below that point, about two feet per m ile as far as Flint.
From Flint to Flushing, the slope is about four feet per mile.

Across

the Shiawassee Flats, the slope of the Flint R iver is less than one foot
per mile.

The tributaries to the Flint River follow the same\;.pattern.

In the upper reaches, the slopes of the tributartes are steep and flatten
out as they approach the main stream.
Location of U. S. Geological Survey Gages
There are seven U. S. Geological Survey gaging stations in the Flint
River Basin.

Of these seven, one records the contents of Holloway Dam,

and another, the stages in the Shiawassee Flats area.

Three of the

remaining five gaging stations were utilized by the FWPCA in this report.
The first of these is Flint River near Otisville.

It has a drainage

area of 547 square miles, and is located 20 feet downstream from the State
Highway 15 bridge (1- 1/2 m iles downstream from the Holloway Reservoir) .
It has been in operation from October 1952 to the present.
The second U.S. Geological Survey gaging station is Flint R iver near
Flint.

It is located on the grounds of the Flint sewage treatment plant,

two miles downstream from Flint.

It has been in continuous operation

since August 1932, and has a drainage area of 927 square miles.
The third U.S. Geological Survey gaging station is Flint River near
Fosters.

It is located on the downstream side of the bridge of Sheridan

Road, one m ile west of Fosters.

The drainage area for this gage is

approximately 1,120 square miles, and it has been in ervice since

October 1939.
The range of observed discharges of these gaging stations are as
follows:

Flint River near Otisville

Maximum
Average
Minimum

6, 150 cfs
255 cfs
4.3 cfs

Flint River near Flint

M.:lximum
Average
Minimum

- 14, 900 cfs

Flint River near Fosters

.,.

Maximum
Average
Minimum

536 cfs
9.0 cfs

19, 000 cfs

:684 cfs
27 cfs

Time of Passage
It is necessary to know the stream travel time of a river in order
to determine its waste decay rate.

On the Flint River these times of

passage have been determined for various flows at the station Flint
River near Flint, and are for the stretch of river between mile points 46.1
and 9. 7.
Time of passage. studies on the Flint River were made by the Detroit
Program Office during 1965 and 1966.

These studies used multiple

releases of Rhodamine B dye and measured the time of occurrence and

concentration of the dye at downstream points.

In the reach between

Flint and Flushing, times of passage were also determined by use of a

. made by Michigan
computer program utilizing cross- sectional measurernents
Water Resources Connnission personnel.

The stretch of river between mile

points 46. 1 and 9. 7 coincides with the intens.ive sampiing areas below
Flint.
Drought Flow
The one- day and seven-,day low flows (once in 10 years) have been
calculated for the Flint River at two of the U;S. Geological Survey
stations by use of Gumbel Extremal Probabi.lity Paper.

The stations used

were Flint River near Flint, and Flint River near Fosters.

The flow at

the remaining points along the river was arrived at by comparison of

their drainage areas with that of the U. S. Geological Survey stations.
Because the Flint gage has a longer period of record than the
Fosters gage, only those flows occurring in the per iod 1940-1963 were
used in this analysis.

This results in a slightly higher flow at Flint

than would have been expected had the entire period of recrod been used.
This analysis does not take into account the effect of the operation
of Holloway Dam on the Flint River drought flows.

This dam should tend

to raise the flow in the river during per iods of extended drought.

The

Mich igan Water Resources Commission stated in their "1956 Report on Water
Resource Conditions and Uses in the Flint River Basin" that the reservoir
would sustain a flow of 100 cfs in the river during drought years.

Use

of that figure would add roughly 50 cfs to the flow at each of the
remaining points on the river below the dam.
Also, no consideration was made for the reduction in flow between
the intake for the Flint water treatment plant and the Flint sewage
treatment plant.

TABLE 1.

FLINT RIVER DROUGHT FLOWS

(Se Figure 6)
Drainaae Area
_L o
_ c_a_t_i_on_ _______(,u ar; mi i es)

1-Day F 1 O\'I

(cfs)

Flow
{cfs)

7-Day

13. 6

23.0

X288

19. 1

23.7

X286

20.3

25. 1

X281+

22.3

27

X282

22 .L:

27.8

22.7

28. 1

X290

453.D

.s

X280

553.7

X270

598.9

X26G

6G5.3

Kearsiey C:-cc,<.-

60 3. 3

Kearsle1 Creek

72i .4

29.6

36.6

737 . L;.

;:O. 2

37.4

X25

30.4
24.:3

30.7
30.9

737 .9

37.5

s,.,12,tz Creek

91 S. L:

37.5

46.5

X256

925.7

33.0

47.0

X254

919.5

47.5

X250

47.9

X246

96.6

X242

967.7

39.7

48. :Z

X240

981 .8

lfO.2

49.2

Brent Run:,

983.8

40.3

Brent Run

49.3

1035.1

41.9

50.9

X236

1045.5

42.3

S 1. 3

48.4

*Up to, but not including named stream.

10

TABLE 1

Location

FLINT RIVER DROUGHT FLO\S (cont.)

Drainage Area
( square miies)

1-0.:":y Flow
( cf s)

7-Day Flow

_..J.s.!s)

Pine Run Cre0.\c::

146.6

42. Li.

51.4.

Pine Run Creek

i102.5

4L f . 1

53. l.

x23L.c

1106.0

4L1. 2

53.2

x2::;2

1116.7

44.7

53. 7

X230

1118.9

XVO

l"i]-3.2

l:-5. O

47. 1

*Up to, but not including named stream.

11

54.0

56.9

TABLE 2.

FLINT R IVER SAMPLING STATIONS

Mainstream Stations
Station

Location

Mile Point

X220

9.7

Bridge on Tom Creswell Rd., 2 mi. W of M-13

X230

14.7

Bridge on Sheridan Rd., 1 m:L W. of Fosters

(USGS* Gage)

X236

22.1

Bridge on E. Burt Rd. in Morseville

X237

28.5

Montrose outfall, 50 1 N. of M-57 bridge

near Montrose

X240

28.5

Bridge on M-57 near Montrose

X246

33.9

End of Mt. Morris Rd., 3 mi. N. of Flushing

X248

39.0

Flushing sewage treatment plant

X250

39.6

Bridge on W. Main St. in Flushing

X255

45.6

Flint sewage treatment plant (USGS Gage)

X256

46.1

Bridge on Mill Rd., 1 mi. W. of Flint

X260

55.9

Bridge on Carpenter Rd. in Flint

Tributary Stations
On

Tributary

Station

Mile Point

X239

0.2

Brent Run

X295

1.6

Farmers CreekSouth Branch

X296

25.5

Swartz Creek

U.S. Geological Survey

12

Confluence
Mile Point

Location

27.6

Bridge on McKinley

76.6/14.4

Lapeer State Hospi

tal (USGS Gage)

50.5

Bridge on Elliott Rd.

1-1/2 mi. N. of Holly
(USGS ,Gage)

r IGURE 2

TIME OF -PASSAGE OF THE

FLINT RIVER
FLOW AT F.LINT GAGE

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FLOW DURATION CURVE

FLINT RIVER- NEAR FL INT
1933 -1964
10,000

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20

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40

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60

TIME IN PERCENT OF TOTAL

90

911

PERIOD

98

Sil

llll.8 99.9 llll.ll9

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F LOW D UR AT I O N C U R V E
FLI NT RIVER NEAR FOS T E RS
1940 - 1 9 64
1 00,000

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40

50

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PERCENT OF

70

BO

TOTAL

90

95

PERIOD

98

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F4

F4

S C A L E IN lill L I S

F4

L A K E HURON PROGRAM OFFICE

GREAT L A K U IL L INOIS R I V E R BASIN PROJECT

LOCATION

OF S A M P L I N G S TA T I O N S

FLINT RIVER BASIN

WATER USE
Municipal Water Supply
The Flint River Basin has a population served by public water
supplies of approximately 280, 000 people.

This number is expected to

increase to 620, 000 by 19 90, and 1, 300, 000 by 2020 .

The City of Flint

is the largest user, serving about 2 35, 000 people and numerous industries .
Flint obtains its water from the Flint River at the present time, but
since this source of supply is limited, Flint is planning to tie in w ith
the City of Detroit water line from Lake Huron.

Holloway reservoir

controls the flow of the Flint R iver for water supply, and the reach
between the dam and the city serves as an aqueduct .

All other public

water supplies in the basin come from local wells.

Table 3 lists the individual water users and g iv es the source of
the supply.

Projected use for the basin in 1990 and 2020 is shown on

Table 5 .
. Industrial Water Supply
Most of the industfaies in the Flint River Basin obtain the ir water
from municipal supplies.

The only exception is the Vogt Packing

Company in Grand Blanc which has its own well system for its 0 . 06
m illion gallons per day (MGD) use.
Table 4 lists the industrial users and the use.

Projections of 1990

and 2020 use are included in the municipal water in Table 5 .

Water- related Recreat ion
The Flint River Basin in 1965 had approximately 2 2 , 000 boats
registered by its residents .
18

The Flint River is generally too small for boat traffic, but there
are several reservoirs on the r iver that are suitable for boating.

The

basin has over forty lakes with sizes varying from several acres to
over 400 acres .

These lakes offer fish ing, boating, swimming, and most

of them are fully developed for surrnner and year round residence .
Commercial boat liveries are located on a number of these lakes.

19

TABLE 3 .

Town

MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLIES*

Flint River Basin

1960
Pop .

Owner*-tc

Source

New Lothrop

5 10

Wel ls in drift 62 ' to

69 ' deep

Fenton Twp .

280

Wel ls in rock 7 3 ' deep

Burton Twp .

29,700

Wel ls in rock 25 7 ' deep,

wel ls in drift 168 ' to
196 ' deep

Clio

2,212

Wel ls in rock 14.5 ' to

317 ' deep ; wel l in
drift 141 ' deep

Davison

3,7 6 1

196,940

Wel ls in rock 210 ' to

260 ' deep

300

3, 761

Flint
Flint Twp .
(Genesee Cty .
Drain Commission)
Flushing

Fl int River

5
2, 6

Water from City of

Flint and wel ls in rock
160 ' to 16 7 ' deep
Water from City of Flint

Beecher Metropolitan District

Wel ls in rock 350 ' to

431 ' deep ; wel ls in
drift 98 ' to 124 ' deep

1,5 65

Grand Blanc Twp .

640

Southhampton Subdivision

120

Wel ls 200 ' deep

Wildwood Subdivision

320

Wel ls in rock 230 ' deep

Grand Blanc

Tr eatment**

Wel ls in rock 28 7 ' to

306 ' deep
Wel ls in rock 26 7 ' to
300 ' deep

*Taken from "Data on Pub lic Water Supplies in Michigan," Engineering

Bul letin No. 4 by the Michigan Department of Pub l ic Health .
**See Owner and Treatment Code page 22
20

TABLE 3 .

Town

MUN ICIPAL WATER SUPPLIES._,, (cont ' d)

Flint Rive r Basin

19 60
Pop .

Owner*.,.,

Source

Montrose

1, 466

Wells in drift 67 ' to

77 ' deep

Mt. Morris

3, 484

Wells in drift 60 I to
82 ' deep

Otisville

701

Well , in rock 415 1 deep

Clifford

330

Well '; in rock 400' de ep

Columb iaville

789

Wells in rock 280 ' to

300 ' deep

8, 020

Wells in rock 200 ' deep

Wells in rok

Wells in rock 250 ' & 276 1

deep

Lapeer
Lapeer Home
Tra ining School
North Branch

832

Trea tment*'I',

3, 4

*Taken from "Data on Public Water Supplies in Michigan, " Engineering

Bulletin No . 4 by the Michigan Depa rtment of Public Health .
**See Owner and Treatment Code page 22
21

OWNER AND TREATMENT CODE

Owner Code :
M

City or Village

Township

Private

District

County

s
U. S .

= State

Federal

Treatment Code :

*
**

1.

Std. Filtration*

2.

Lime so ftening'l'd,

3.

Zeolite softening

4.

Iron remova 1

5.

Chlorination

6.

Fluoridation

Implies at least chlorination, chemical coagulation, and rapid

sand f iltrat ion.
L ime softening includes f iltration .

22

TA BL E

h.

I NDUS TR IAL WATE R US E

F l i n t R i ve r B as i n

Quan t i ty
U s e d ( MGO )

S ource

GMC -AC S p ark P l ug

1 .5

C i ty o f F l i n t

P ro ce s s & C oo l i ng

GMC - B ui ck D i vi s i on

2.2

C i ty of F 1 i n t

P roces s & C oo l i n g

GMC -Chev . F l i n t D i v .

2.0

Ci t y o f F l i nt

G en e r al M f g .

GMC-F i s her Body D i v .

0 . 08

C i t y of F l i nt

G en e r al M f g .

GMC - Te r n s tedt

1 .5

C i t y of F l i nt

P ro ce s s

GMC - P ar t s D i vi s i on

0 . 36

C i ty of F l i nt

P ro ce s s

GMC - C hevro l e t As semb l y

1 .4

C i t y of F l i n t

P ro ce s s

GMC - C he v . E ng i ne
& S t ampi n g P l an t

0 . 72

C i t y of F l i nt

P roce s s

Vogt P ack i n g C o .

D . 06

P r i v a t e we l l s

P r oce s s

N ame of U s e r

23

Use

TABL E

5.

MUN I C IPAL WATER US E P R O J E C TI O N S ( MG D )

F l i n t R i ve r B a s i n

Muni c i p a l *

1 96 5

2020

40

220

* I n c l udes i ndus t r i a l wa ter use .

24

SOURCES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF WASTES

Municipal
The Flint River Basin population ser ved by municipal waste treatment
systems is approximately 2 10 , 000 people , of which all but about .5 , 000 are
in Genesee County .
The county has a metropolitan sewerage plan which will serve the City
of Flint ' s suburbs with sewer connections and treat the waste at the
Flint sewage treatment plant .

This sytem should be operable by 1 9 6 7 and

serve the communities of Montrose , Linden , Swartz Cr.eek , Birch Run , Clio ,
Grand Blanc , and Davidson .

Swartz Creek , Cli o , and Davidson ha ve sewage

treatment plants now that will be abandoned when the me tro system is
completed .

The others have no facilities .

The Village of Columb iaville in Lapeer County has a small separate

sewer system but has no treatment facilities .

The M i chigan Water

Resources Commission has requested that they provide treatment , and the
village is studying the problem .
North Branch has a sewage collecti on system with treatment in
municipally owned and operated septic tanks .

Upgrading of the system is

scheduled for 1 9 6 7.
The following information is based on 1965 monthly average f igures
reported to the Michigan Department of Public Health by the individual
plants.

Prior to January 196 7 , m inimum chlorination period required

by the Michigan Department of Public Health was from May 1.5 tu

September 15.

After January 1967 , all municipal plants are requi.red to

disinfect their effl uents continuously .

Plant outfall locations are shown in F igure 7 , and a summary of

25

results listed in Table 6 .

Davidson Sewage Treatment Plant - 1965
This plant is a trickling filter unit wnich ser ves about 3 , 000 peop e.
The flow averaged 0 . 40 million gallons per day (MGD) dur ing 1965 , with
var iations between 0 . 2 9 and 0 . 69 MGD.

The 5- day biochemical oxygen

demand (BOD ) removal by this plant was about 70 percent , which left an
5

average effluent BOD

of 62 milligrams per liter (mg/ 1) .

The eff luent

was chlorinated fr om May 15 to September 15 as required by the Michigan

Department of Public Health .
Flint Sewage Treatment Plant - 1965
This plant is the largest in the Flint Basin and serves a popu Lation
o f approximately 200 , 000 people .

Part o f the average f l ow o f 2 6. 5 MGD

is treated by a tr ickling f ilter unit and the rest by

sludge unit .

new activated

The plant , which usually opera tes with a BOD

remova l

effic iency in excess of 90 per cent , has an average ef fluent BOD

of 14 mg/ 1 .

The BOD

dur ing 1965 var ied from 5 to 2 1 mg/ 1 .

value

The effluent

was chlor inated from May 15 through September 15 .

During the Federal Water Pollution Contr ol Administration survey of
the Flint River on August 1 1 , 1965 , the BOD
mg/ 1 range .

o f the effluent was in the 5

The plant used about 1 , 1 00 pounds of chlor ine on this date ,

which is about average.

Flushing Sewage Treatment Plant - 1965
The Flushing sewage treatment plant is a small tr ickling filter unit
which serves about 2 , 500 people .

The average flow is 0. 48 MGD , with

var iations in 1965 between 0 . 35 and 0 . 67 MGD.

26

BOD dur ing the same

5

per iod varied from 26 to 45 mg/ 1, with an average of 33 mg/ L

The

effluent was chlorinatecl from May 1 5 through September 15 .

The plant operati on during the Federal Water Po l lution Contro l Administration Fl int River survey of August 1 1, 1 966 was normal for August .
Lapeer Sewage Treatment Plant - 1 965
This trickl ing f i lter plant serves about 6 , 000 people .
f low and BOD

The average

for 1 965 were 0 . 73 MGD and 22 mg/1, respectively .

plant removes about 90 percent o f the BOD from the inf luent.
5

The
Flow

f luctuated during 1 965 between O. 57 and O . 8 7 MGD , and BOD var ied between 1 1
5

and 40 mg/L

The effluent was chlorinated from May 15 through September 15 .

Lapeer State Home and Tra ining School

Sewage Treament Plant - 1 965
This trickl ing f i lter plant serves the residents of the State School .
Average flow for 1 965 was 0 . 37 MGD with very l ittle variation .

The average

effluent BOD for the year was 2 1 mg/1, with variations between 14 and 39
5
mg/1.

The p lant chlorinates i ts effluent continuous ly throughout the year. .

Swartz Creek Sewage Tr eatment Plant - 1 965

This activated sludge plant serves a popu lat ion of ab out 3 , 00 0 .

The

flow for 1965 averaged 0 . 31 MGD w ith var iations between 0.20 to 0 . 48 MGD .
Eff luent BOD values ranged between 1 1 and 2 5 mg/1, with an average o f 18
5
mg/1 .

The plant effluent was chl orinated from May 1 5 to September 1 5 .

Industria l - 1 966
Industries in the Fl int River Basin are ma inly located in and around
the City of Fl int ; the rest o f the basin is primar i ly rura l farming l and .
The industries include eight General Motors plants , and one sma l l rendering

27

plant ,

Generally, water is purchased from the Flint munic ipal system .

Most of these plants discharge their process waste to the F l int River
after treatment .

The eight Gener a l Motors plants have been ra. ted as

"providing adequate control" by the Michigan Water Resources Commission .

The Vogt Packing Company, which operated a small render ing plant , has been
rated as "providing control - but adequacy not established . "

This plant

has been asked to improve treatment by the Michigan Water Resources

Commission, and munic ipal sewers should be available within a year,
Outfall l ocat ions f or t he above plants are shown on Figure 7 , and
results of sampl ing are shown in Table 7 .

All of this informa tion was

obta ined from the Michigan Water Resources Commission in Apri l 1966 .
General Motors Corporation (GMC )
AC Spark Plug D ivision
This plant is located on Dort Highway i.n the City of Flint .

The

plant , which produces spark plugs , has a waste f l ow of approx ima tely 1 . 5
million gallons per day (MGD) ,
a tributary of the Flint River .

This f l ow is discharged to Gilkey Creek ,

Was te const i tuents include cyanide ,

hexavalent chromium , nickel , o i 1 , and suspended solids .

Treatment fac i l.i-

t ies consist of set tling, and chrome and cyanide separation ,

GMC - Buick Division
The Buick Plant, l ocated on Industrial Avenue in Flin t , discharges
approximately 2 . 2 MGD o f general manufactur ing and plat ing wastes to t he
Flint River .

Treatment fac ili t ies are set tling and a Utah ski!f\mer.
GMC - Chevrolet Flint Division

Located on Chevrolet Avenue in Flint, this plant discharges about 2

28

MGD directly to the Flint River .

solids and o il.

Waste const ituents include suspended

Treatment facilities consist of settli.ng tanks and o il

r emoval equipment ,
GMC - Fisher Body Division
The plant is located in Grand Blanc and dischar ges its flow of 0 . 08
MGD to Thread Creek , which is a tr ibuta ry to Swa rtz Creek which in turn
empties into the Flint River .

Wastes include oil and suspended soli.ds ,

Treatment is by a secondary unit and a lagoon .

GMC - Ternstedt Division
This plant, located on Coldwater Road in Flint, discha rges i ts waste
flow o f 1 . 5 MGD to Brent Run , a tr ibutary o f the F l int River .

A seconda ry

unit and lagoons treat the wastes which conta in o il , suspended solids ,
cyanide , hexavalent chromium, and copper.
GMC - Parts Division
Located in the town of Swar t z Creek , the plant discharges 0 . 4 MGD
of treated wastes to Swa r t z Creek , a tr ibutary of the Flint River .

Wa ste

constituents include o il and suspended solids, and are treated by settling

tanks, oil removal equipment, and lagoons .
GMC - Chevrolet Assembly Plant
This plant is located on Van Slyke Road in Flint and discharges i ts
flow of 1 . 4 MGD to Swartz Creek, a tr ibutary of the Flint River .
constituents include o il, and suspended solids .

The waste flow is

treated by settling tanks and o il removal equipment.

29

Waste

GMC - Chevrolet Eng ine and S tamp ing Plant

This p lant is located on Van Slyke Road in Fl int and dischar ges i ts
flow of O. 72 MGD to Carment Creek , a tr ibutary of Swartz Creek , which

'

dra ins into the Fl int River .

Wastes include oil and suspended sol ids ,

which are treated by settling tanks and o i l r emoval equipment .

Vogt Packing Company
This p lant is located in Grand Blanc and discharges a f low of 0 . 0 6
MGD to Thread Creek, a tr ibutary of Swar tz Creek which dra ins into the
F l int River .

This r ender ing p lant ' s waste constituents include BOD ,

suspended sol ids, and suspended volatile sol ids ,

settl ing .

30

Trea tment cons ists o.f

6. F L I NT R I VER MUN I C I P AL WAS TE

TABLE

( Ye a r l y ave r a ge, . for 1 96 5 i n mg/1 , un l e s s otherwi se no ted )

A 1 1 p l a n t s a r e secondary u n i t s .

P l an t N ame

F l ow
( MG D )

D avi dson

o . 4o

F 1 i nt

26 . 5

Temp . F
( R aw)

5-D ay
BOD

Susp.
So l i ds

S us p .
Vo l .
So l i d s

pH

C l 2*
App 1 i e d
#/d ay

60

62

57

53

7 .7

37

61

14

30

19

7.4

1 280

Avg .
C t2
Res .
1 .5

F l us hi n g

o . 48

50

33

30

20

L a pee r

0.73

59

22

32

22

7 .6

24

L apee r S t ate
Home

0 . 37

70

21

16

13

8.4

26

1 .0

Swa r t z C reek

0.31

52

18

31

27

11

1 0

39

*D u r i ng ch l o r i nat i on peri o d , f rom May 1 5 through Septem be r 1 5 , except fo r

L apee r S t ate Home wh i c h ch l o r i n a te s con t i nuous l y a l l ye a r .

31

0.9

TABL E 7 .

FL I N T R I V E R I N DUS TR IAL WAS TE INVEN TORY

-----------------------------AQRC..--
L oc a t i on

Rece i v i ng
S t re am

Waste
Cons t i tuent s

GMC-AC S park P l ug D i v .

Do r t H,..iy
F 1 i nt

Gi l key C reek
F 1 i n t R i ve r

CN , C r 6 , N i , O i 1 ,
S us p . S o l .

GMC-Bui ck D i v .

I ndus t r i a l
Ave . - F 1 i n t

F l i nt R i ve r

Gen . Mfg . &

P l at i ng Waste

GMC - C hev . F l i nt D i v .

C hevro 1 e t
Ave . -F l i nt

F l i nt R i ver

S us p . So l . , O i 1 ,
Gen . Mfg .

G rand B l anc

Thread C reek
S wa r t z C reek
F 1 i n t R i ve r

I ndu st ry

GMC-F i she r Body D i v .

W a s te F l ow
( MGD )

Tre atmen t
P rovi ded

R at i ng
Apr i l
1 9661,

C r 6 & CN
sp a r at i on
S e t t l i ng

2.2

S et t l i ng
U t ah S k i mmer

2.0

O i 1 , SS , Gen .
Mfg . Wastes

O i l R emova l
S e t t l i ng

D . 08

L agoon &
Seconda r y

S ec onda ry

1 .5

----------------------------------------

GMC-Te rn s te d t D i v .

C o l dwa t e r
R d . -F l i nt

Brent R un
F 1 i n t R i ve r

O i i , SS , CN ,
Cr , Cu

1 .5

GMC -P a r t s D i v .

M-78
S wa r t z C r .

S wa r t z C reek
F l i n t R i ve r

Oi 1 , Susp. Sol .

o.4

S e t t l i ng ,
O i 1 removal ,
L agoons

V an S l yke

Swa r t z C reek
F 1 i n t R i ve r

O i l , Sus p . So l .

1 .4

Se t t l i ng ,
Oi l remova l

-----------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------GMC - C h e v . As sembl y

*A-

& L agoons

--------------- -----------------------

Adequate con t ro l .

F 1 int

TABLE 7. F L I N T R IVER I N DUS TR IAL \.lAS TE INVENTORY

( CONT. )

MWRc

-I n_d_u_s_t_rX--------l_o_c_a t i on

R ece i vi ng
$ t re am

Waste
-C_o_n s t i tue n t s

GMC - C hv . E n g i ne &
S t amp i n g P l an t

V an s 1 yke
F l i nt

C arme n C reek
Swa r t z C reek
F 1 i n t R i ve r

0 i l , Sus p . Sol .

Vogt P ack i n g C o .

G r and B l anc

Thre ad C reek
Swa r t z C reek
F 1 i n t R i ver

BO D , S u s p . S o l . ,
S u s p . Vo l . S o l .

R at i ng
Was te F l ow
Tre a tmen t
Apr i l
d
v_
o_
d
e
MG_
D _)__P_r_
6_
*i ______-1_9_6_
0 . 72

Se t t l i ng

--------------------0 . 06

w
w

S e t t l i ng ,
O i 1 ren.ovat ,
L a goon s

A - Adequate Con t ro l .
B - C o n t r o l provi ded - adequacy not e s t ab l i shed ( addi t i onal t re atment reque s te d ) .

g
3\,

M AYV I Lf :: :
E
PE

34

.:-.

CH[S&NINO
r - - - -i

:
'

\.----J:

. _ j,.,:._.

i-

. - -- -'
:

- -- - - ----UEMEs'llco:- - -- -- -- -- -

- : R-{

LAK '- "I..J

,

;L :f: :;

t..

..
..
G,

4' :i,

.,

L\_!:
LAPEER CO.
.

c,

-. .

[]ot 1sv1LLEI

. .. .

..

LA.CE NUAON PROGRAM OHIC!

GA[IOT LAKES -\LLltl0\11 A1VER 6411\M PROJECT

IIUNICIPAL 6 INDUSTRIAL WASTE OUTFALLS

LOCATION M A P

FM

:==-,=:==-r=.

FLINT R I V E R B A S I N
U.S. D C..ATlT O P TIii 1TIDIOD
rl:OIDAL ATtll l'O&.LUTIOII COIITDOL .t.DtDtaTll4TIO.
1111.IT LADIII 01111011
111011[ ILi, 1NIIAII

POPULATION AND WASTE LOAD PROJECTIONS

Demographic studies were conducted by the Great Lakes-Illinois River
Basins Pr oject, Chicago, for the Lake Huron Basin .

Population trends on

a national, regional, and county basis were analyzed, and population

projections were developed for the various areas of the Lake Huron Basin .
In 1960, appr oximately 1. 2 million persons lived in the Lake Huron Watershed - about double the 1920 population .

By the year 2020 it is estimated

that the population of the watershed will be appr oximately 3 . 2 million .

The one major city on the Flint River is Flint (196 , 940) accor ding
to the 1960 census figur es.

For this report, the Flint area and surrounding

corrnnunities wer e analyzed as a unit , assuming that by 2020 the entire area
will be urbanized and served by water and sewer systems.

For this area,

the 1965 population served by sewerage systems was estimated to be 210, 000,
and pr ojected to be 620, 000 by 1990 , and 1, 300 , 000 by the year 2020.
Table 8 shows the estimated waste flow in MGD for the Flint Basin .
BOD

projections were based on present day inventory information

obtained from the Michigan Water Resources Commission, the Michigan Department of Public Health, and the U . S . Public Health Service.

Municipal and

industrial water use growth rates and BOD pr oduction in terms of popu5

lation equivalents were determined from studies on the Lake Michigan Basin

and applied to the inventory data obtained for the Flint area .
The r esults of these projections are shown on Table 9 .
in 1965, a total of 42, 930 pounds per day of BOD

For example,

was pr oduced in the

area of which 90 percent was removed, leaving 4, 300 pounds of BOD

discharged to the river.

being

By the year 2020, with the same percentage o f

35

treatment, 27, 850 pounds would reach the river .

In order to show an

improvement over present water quality, 9 9 percent or more removal will

be necessary at that time .

36

TABLE 8 .

WASTE FLOW PROJECTIONS

1965

1990

2020

Residential

18 . 8

75

182

Iri.dustria 1

_Jhl

20

44

27 . 5

95

226

9.5

22

48

37 . 0

117

274

Municipal (MGD)

Total
Industrial
(direct to river)
Total to River

37

TABL E

BOD5 PROJECTIONS
1 96 5
#/d ay

1 990
#/d ay

35 , 600

1 1 1 , 500
1 3, 600
1 2 5 , 1 00
1 0 , 00 0
12,51 0

26 0 , 0 0 0
30, 500
290, 5 0 0
23, 200

1 ,251

2 , 905

2 02 0
#/d ay

Mun i c i pa 1
R e s i dent i a l
I n dus t r i a l
Total Mun i c i pal
P re sent 92% remova l
Wi t h 90% remova 1
Wi t h 95% remova l
Wi t h 99"/o remova l
I n dus t r i a l
( d i re c t to r i ver )
P resent 30"/o remova l
Wi t h 90% remova l
Wi t h 95% remova l
W i t h 99% remova l
To t a l load before treatment
P resent 9 0% remova l
W i t h 90% removal
Wi th 95/o removal
Wi t h 99% removal

6 , 020
41 , 62 0
3 , 380
4, 1 62
2 , 080
416

6 , 255

29, 05 0
1 4, 52 5

1 , 31 0

2 , 960

6 , 6 40

917
1 31

2 , 07 0
2 96
1 48
30

4, 6 5 0
664
332
66

1 28 , 060

297 , 1 40
27 , 85 0
29, 7 1 4
1 4, 857
2 , 97 1

65

ll

42 , 9 3 0
4, 297
4, 293
2 , 1 46
829

38

1 2 , 07 0

1 2 , 806
6 , 40 3
1 , 28 1

r1

r .

MUVILi-; ; S C O L A CO. _CLIHORO

L A P E E R ,.C O.

.,

I.'

1-t - C'

I.

-- - ---',.--

L.

L!.
., L A P E E R

CO.

c,,,.

--,.

,.
:
'-.--- --

CN[SANINO

SHIAWA S S E E CO.

. ... .

L O C A T ION

MAP

=-====?=='\
sc u t 11, 1 l l l

. . .. . , . . . .
LAU: HURON "l'ROGIU, M o,r1cr
I R [ AT lU:[ S ILLIN019 RIVER BASIN PROJECT,

P O P U L ATIOA a M UN I C I PA L W A S T E F LO W
FLINT RIVER BA SIN
P R O J E C T ION A R E AS

..

1-.-.-.-..-.-..-..-.-.-.-.-.. -.-.-..-.-..-..-.-1;
;.

,101t. U1 ou,,.,uo.. conOl 1.01u111t1111.t 10

rn ....... , t t 1 0
1 110 , u I l l , 1uc,111.u,

1'1

a,

. 1 u UR E 9

POP ULAT I ON A ND M U N I CI RAL

WA S TE F LOW. PROJ E CT ION S FOR T HE
F L I NT R I VER B A S I N
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2030

Y E AR S

DESCRIPTION OF WATER QUALITY

The Detroit Program Office conducted surveys of the Fl int River
during 1965 to determine the qual ity of this watercourse.

Figure 6 shows

the general locations of sampl ing stations X260 and X240, samp led
approximately twice a month, and several municipal sewage treatment p l ant
sampl ing stations .

The rema ining stations shown on Figure 6 were OXSAG

stations which were sampled approximately once every 4 hours over a 24-hour
period on the August 11- 12, 1965 survey .
Chemical
The fol lowing water qual ity measurements were made during 1965 with
respect to chemical criteria:

dissolved oxygen, BOD , nitrogen (ammonia,

5

organic, and nitrate) , phosphates (tota l and tota l soluble) , sol ids

(tota l, suspended, and volatile suspended) , chlorides, iron, and phenols.

Table 10 shows the seasonal average and range of dissolved oxygen
levels for the regular Fl int River sampl ing stations, X240 and X260.
This table also l ists the average seasonal and year ly results of the
nitrogens, phosphates, sol ids, chlorides, phenols, and BOD .
5

The yearly average dissolved oxygen at the upstream station X260,

located above the City of Fl int, was 9 . 8 mi l l igrams per l iter (mg/1) - 91
percent saturated, with a range of 6. 4 to 13. 2 mg/ 1 (68 to 111 percent
saturated).
In the lower Fl int River, at Station X240, the yearly average
dissolved oxygen was 9. 4 mg/1, with a range of 3 . 7 to 1 3. 6 mg/1.

Dis

solved oxygen saturation at Station X240 averaged 90 percent during 1965,

with a range of 35 to 170 percent saturation.

41

Maximum dissolved oxygen saturations of 100 to 170 percent at both

of these stations were noted in measurements made during May, June, August,
September, and October.
The entire reach of the Flint River was sampled at 7 sampling
stations over a 24- hour period on August 11-12, 1965 .

Dissolved oxygen

and temperature determinations were made every four hours.

A composite

sample was prepared and analyzed for BOD and other chemical determina
Samples for bacteriological analysis were collected on two o f the

tions.

six runs.
Table 11 shows the daily dissolved oxygen fluctuation during this
survey for Station X240.
The percent saturation _increased during the daylight hours to a high
of 170 percent in mid-afternoon, and declined during the hours o f dark
ness.

This increased percent saturation is due mainly to the presence of

significant phytoplankton populations and/or photosynthetic production in

the river.
Figure 10 shows the results of the August 11- 12, 1965 survey and
lists the observed individual dissolved oxygen average val4es and their
ranges for each station.
The lowest dissolved oxygen levels were recorded at Station X250,
located downstream from the City of Flint ' s sewage treatment plant.

The

24- hour dissolved oxygen average was 3. 4 mg/1 with respective maximum
and minimum values of 5. 7 and 0. 6 mg/1.

The average dissolved oxygen

saturation was low with 45 percent, and a range of 7 to 68 percent sat

uration.

The effect of the City of Flint ' s municipal wastes on the Flint

River is apparent from the low dissolved oxygen levels encountered down
stream of the City of Flint ' s sewage treatment plant.
42

The average dissolved oxygen increased from 9.0 mg/1 .at Station X240
to a high of 11.5 mg/1 at Station X220 downstream.

The increase in the

average dissolved oxygen and percent saturation is associated with exces

sive algal growth and subsequent production of oxygen.
The average BOD results at Stations X260 and X240, from measurements
5

made during summer and fall of 1965, were 4 and 6 mg/1, respectively.

ive-day BOD results of composite samples taken during the special

OXSAG survey on August 11-12, 1965 on the entire reach of the':-'Flint River
are illustrated in Figure 10.
High BOD

levels of 6 to 1 1 mg/1 were recorded downstream at

Stations X240, X236, X230, and X220.

These high BOD

results were found

at the same locations as the high dissolved oxygen and coincided with
high phytoplankton populations as evidenced by biological sampling.
The Fl int River had a definite seasonal variation in the nitrate
concentration during the 1965 sampling period at Stations X240 and X260.
The nitrate concentration at Station X240 increased from an average of 1.41
mg/1 in January to April _to an average of 1 . 96 mg/ 1 in the May through
September period.

In the October to December period, the nitrate

concentration rea ched an average level of 3. 10 mg/1.

The average annual

nitrate concentration at Station X240 was 1.93 mg/1.

Station X260 had

an average annual nitrate concentration of 0.8 3 mg/1, with lower values

in the summer and fall, as shown in Table 12 .
Figure 11 depicts the increase of ;riitrate concentraions during
the special OXSAG survey conducted on August 11-12, 1965, and the average
annual nitrate concentrations for the two regular sampling stations .

The

nitrate concentration increased from 0.90 mg/1 at Station X260, above the
City of Flint, to an average of 3.20 mg/1 at Station X236, downstream
43

from Montrose .

Stations X230 and X220 had nitrate concentrations of 2. 50

to 2. 30 mg/1 .
The average annual ammonia nitrogen concentration in the Flint River
&t Station X260, above Flint, was 0 . 56 mg/1 ; and at Station X240., downstream from Flint, was 1 . 09 mg/1 .

Average annual organic nitrogen

concentrations for Stations X260 and X240 were 0 . 25 and 0 . 27 mg/1, respectively .
The average seasonal variation and annual total and soluble phosphate
concentrations found in the Flint River during 1965 at the regular
sampling stations, X260 and X240, are shown in Table 13.
The average annual total phosphate concentration was 0 . 21 mg/1 at
Station X260 and 4 . 36 mg/1 at Station X240 .

Soluble phosphate, as a

'

percent of total phosphate, at Stations X260 and X240 ranged from 61

to 76 percent .
Figure 12 illustrates the average and range of total phosphate
concentrations for the two regular sampling stations, and also the res\:iits
of the special survey condu cted on August 1 1-12, 1965 .
Total solids and chlorides were significantly high in the Flint
River as shown in Table 10 .

The average annual total solids concentra-

tion at Stations X260 and X240 were 395 mg/1 and 505 mg/1 , respectively .
Chloride levels made up 9 and 16 percent of the total solids .
Figure 13 depicts the increase in total solids and chlorides in the
Flint River below Flint ' s sewage treatment plant during the special
survey conducted on August 1 1-12, 1965.

Chloride concentration of 27 mg/1

at Station X260 increased to 100 mg/1 at Station X250 .

Chloride levels

accounted for 17 percent of total solids below Flint ' s sewage treatment
44

plant.
Average annual phenol concentration in the Flint River at Station X260
was 4 micrograms per liter (ug/1), with a range of O to 9 ug/ 1.

At

Station X240, the annual average phenol concentration was 5 ug/1, with a
range of O to 15 ug/1 .
Table 14 summarizes average iron, sodium, potassium, calcium,
magnesium, sulfate, and total hardness values found dur ing the 1965 survey
in the Flint River for the two regular sampl ing stations .

Average annual

iron concentration for Station X260 was 1, 350 ug/1, with seasonal averages
of 2, 080, 1, 000, and 230 ug/ 1 .

At Statiort X240, average annual iron

concentration was 1, 430 ug/1, with seasonal average values of 2, 640, 5 40,
and 100 ug/1.
Sodium and potassium levels were noticeably increased in the Flint
River from Station X260 to X240.

Calcium, magnesium, and sulfate

concentrations were typical of concentrations in other tributaries in the

Saginaw R iver Basin .

Hardness averaged 241 to 256 mg/1 upstream, and 231

to 233 mg/1 downstream of Flint .

Microbiological
The microbiological findings for the Flint River are from the 1965
sampling period .

This sampling period was separated into three

intervals - January 11 to May 15, May 15 to September 15, and September 15

to November 30 - to coincide with the municipal waste chlorination period
beginning May 15 and ending September 15.

Representative median, low,

and high total, and fecal coliform results for the regular sampling sta
tions are shown in Table 15.
Total coliform densities at Station X260, above the City of Flint,
45

ranged from 360 to 18 , 000 organisms/100 ml , with a median annual valu e

of 1, 400 organisms/100 ml .

Station X240 , located be low the City of Flint's

sewage treatment plant , exhibited a median annual total coliform count

of 24 , 000 organisms/100 ml , with a range of 200 to 370 , 000 organisms/100 ml .
Percent fecal coliform remained fairly constant in the reaches above and
below Flint ' s sewage treatment plant , these values being 16 and 22 percent ,
respectively.
Chlorination had a definite effect on the total and fecal coliform
densities at Station X240 during the 1965 chlorination period .

The median

total coliform cou nt at Station X240 declined from 150 , 000 organisms/100 ml
in the January 11-May 15 period to a median value of 4, 000 organisms/100 ml
in the May 15- September 15 sampling period .
A comparison of the average , median , and geometric mean values of
annual total and fecal coliform results for Stations X240 and X260 is
shown in Table 16 .
Figure 14 depicts the variation in total coliform distributions at
various sampling points in the Flint River during surveys conducted on
August 11 and 12 , 1965 .

The median annual total coliform densities for

the two regular sampling stations are also shown in Figure 14 .

On

August 11 , the total coliform re nsities increased from 700 organisms/100 ml

at Station X260 above Flint to a high of 29, 000 organisms/100 ml at
Station X25 6 , then declined to a low of 500 organisms/100 ml at Station
X2 20.

On August 12, the total coliform density of 800 organisms/100 ml

at Station X260 increased to a high of 15 , 000 organisms/100 ml at

Station X25 6 .

Station X250 had a total coliform count of 3 , 000 organisms/

100 ml , which increased downstream to a value of 12 , 000 organisms/100 ml

at Station X220 .
46

TA BL E 10 ,

R i ve r

D i s so l ve d Oxyge n
Av!']
M c>x
Mi n

5 - D ay
BOD

FL I N T R I VER '1ATER QUAL I TY

1 96 5 AVE RAG E CON C E N TRATI ONS
Sea sona l

NH 3 - N

O r g -N

N03-N

Tot .->,:..
To t .1H S o t . Tot .
Sol .
P 04
P 04

S us p .
Sol .

Vo 1 . :
S .S.

Cl

37
22

11
4

77 '
29

5
4

P heno l s

J a nuary - A pr i l 1 96 5
F 1 i nt
X 2 L: O
:< 26 0
F 1 i nt
X240
X 260

1 0 .2 1 2 .9
1 1 .7 1 2. 3

5.2

1 0 .9

1 . 56
0.51

0 . 22
0. 16

1 . 4 1.
1 .18

2 . 20
O.31

1 . 7]
O. 19

6 .
369

..

9. 1
8.3

13 .6
10.1

3.7
6.4

6
4

0 . 50
0.81

0 . 35
0 . 38

1 . 96
o . 44

4 . 46
0. 16

3.26 533
0. 1 1

4 22

18
18

4
3

23

83

X 260

9. 1
1 1 .6

1 0 .9
1 3.2

5 .6
10.5

5
4

0 , 97
0 . 28

0 . 23
0 . 27

3.10
0 . 10

9 . 23
0 . 06

6 . 90
0 . 04

551-+
41 4

9
14

6
8

1 00
33

8
2

F 1 i nt
X240
X260

9.4
.9.8

1 3 .6
1 3.2

3 .7
6.4

6
4

1 . 09
0 . 56

0 .25

0 . 27

1 . 93
0 . 83

4 . 36
0 .21

3 . 29
0.1 3

505
395

25

7
4

83
28

F 1 i nt
X20

N o t e : A l l r e s u l t s i n mg/1 except pheno l s -:: pg/1 .

P ho s ph a t e s r e po r ted as P Ou .
N i t r o ge n s ( NH 3 , N 0 3 , O g a i c ) r e por ted a s N i t ro gen .
*Vo l a t i l e S u s pended S o l i d s

19

,i-Total phosphate includes : ortho, poly, biological , and organic . phosphate

,HH Total soluble phosphate ( performed on fi ltered sample ) includes : s oluble ortho, soluble poly and soluble organic
phosphate

TABLE 11 .

DISSOLVED OXYGEN FLUCTUATION - FLINT RIVER

Station X240
DO
m
( g /1 )

Date

Time

Temp .
oc

8/11/65

0930

18 . 0

7.0

74

1325

22. 0

13 . 1

15 1

1710

26. 0

13 . 6

170

2100

24 . 0

10. 3

124

0 125

22. 0

6. 2

71

0535

20 . 5

3. 7

42

8/12/65

48

Saturation

TABLE 12 . FLINT RIVER

Seasonal Nitrate- N Concentration
(mg/ 1 )

Station

Jan- April

May-Sept.

Oct.-Dec.

Annual

X240

Average
Range

:.1 . 41

1 . 96

3 . 10

1 . 93

0 . 89- 1 . 60

0 . 70- 2 . 80

1 . 90- 4 . 60

0 . 70- 4 . 60

1 . 18

0 . 44

0 . 70

0 . 83

0 . 20- 0 . 90

0 . 30- 1 . 20

0 . 20- 1 . 60

X260

Average
Range

0 . 90- 1 . 60

49

TABLE 13. FLINT RIVER

19 65 TOTAL AND SOLUBLE PHOSPHATE CONCENTRATIONS
Seasonal

Station 11

Total Phosphate
mg/1
Maximum
Average
Minimum

Soluble Phosphate
mg/1
Minimum
Average
Maximum

Jan. .,- April

X240
X260

2. 20
0. 31

0. 50
0. 10

4. 70
0 . 60

1 . 77
0. 19

0.10
0. 00

4 . 60
0. 40

May-Sept.
X240
X260

4. 46
0.16

0 .60
0. 08

8. 70
0. 30

3. 26
0.11

0.10
0 . 06

5. 10
0. 20

Oct. - Dec.
X240
X260

9. 23
0. 06

5. 40
0. 04

12. 80
0. 10

6. 90
0. 04

4. 00
0. 04

8. 80
0 . 04

Annual
X240
X260

4. 36
0. 21

0. 50
0. 04

12. 80
0. 60

3. 29
0.13

0.10
0. 00

8 . 80
0. 40

50

TABLE 14 .

FLINT RIVER WATER QUALITY

1965 AVERAGE CONCENTRATIONS
Sea sona l

River

---- ------------------- -------------

Total
Iron

Sodium

Potassium
-

Calcium

Magnesium

Sulfate

Total
Hardness

2640
2080

68
31

14
9

62
64

23
23

84
80

233
241

540
1000

58
15

13
5

66
69

27
30

105

86

254
267

100
230

77
24

17

59
63

1927

76
70

231
256

1430
1350

68
26

15
8

62
65

23
26

89
80

238
253

Jan-April
Flint
X240
X260

--------

May-Sept
\JI
I-'

Flint
X240
x260
Oct-Dec
Flint
X2h0
x260

-------- ------- -----

-----

Jan-Dec
Flint
X240
X260

Note : All results in mg/1, except Iron - )lg/1

Total Hardness as Caco3

TABLE 15. FLINT RIVER

1965 TOTL AND FECAL COLIFORM DENSITIES
Seasonal

Season and
Station No.

Total Coliform
Organisms/100 ml
Median
High
Low

Fecal Coliform
Organisms/100 ml
Median
Low
High

Jan . 11-May 15
X240

150, 000

7, 000

370, 000

11, 000

3, 700

30, 000

X260

1 , 70 0

360

18, 000

520

60

1, 700

X240

4, 000

2 00

21, 000

100

20

1, 700

X260

1,100

600

9, 9 00

2 50

140

900

X240

3, 400

1, 000

5, 800

360

10

700

X2 60

1, 200

800

1, 500

190

180

200

X240

2 4, 000

200

370, 000

5, 300

10

30, 000

X260

1, 400

360

18, 000

220

60

1, 700

May 15- Sept. 15

Sept. 15-Nov. 30

Annual

52

TABLE 16 . FLINT RIVER

1965 TOTAL AND FECAL COLIFORM DENSITY STATISTICS
(organisms/100 ml)
Average

Median

Geometric
Mean-:: - _

Low

High

X240

94, 000

24, 000

20, 000

200

370, 000

X260

3, 600

1, 400

1, 800

360

18, 000

X240

8 , 300

5, 300

1, 900

10

30, 000

X260

490

220

320

60

1, 700

Station
Total Coliform

Fecal Coliform

53

FLINT R IVE R
OXYGEN A ND

D I S S O LV E D

AUGUST I I-12,
15

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DISSOLVED OXYGEN PROJECTIONS

The water quality data described in previous sections of this report
were submitted to analyses in a mathematical model depicting oxygen
balance in streams .

This particular model is a modif ication of the

classical Streeter-Phelps formulation for oxygen balance in a stream .

This equation includes an additional non-conservative oxygen demand
(Kjeldahl n itrogen) , which acts in a sim ilar f ashion to the BOD factor in
the original formulation.
Long-term oxygen demand and nitrogen balance determinations were
made on stream and waste source samples to determine a laboratory K-rate
in order to calculate the ultimate carbonaceous oxygen demand.

The

ultimate carbonaceous oxygen demand stream prof ile was constructed, and
the stream BOD decay rate determined .

A similar prof ile of the Kjeldahl

n itrogen yielded the nitrogenous demand decay rate.

checked by a wastes loadings prof ile ,
stream temperature to

These prof iles were

All rates were converted from the

20 c .

Reaeration rates were initially calculated based on the O ' Connor

Dobbins formulation for natural streams using computed reach velocities
and depths . These values were used for initial match runs , but were
then modif ied somewhat in the f inal match run for simplicity in the
projection runs.
in the model.

The photosynthetic production of algae is not a facter

No attempt was made to match the dissolved oxygen prof ile

to observed data above or near the saturation value.

Survey data indicated an apparent high decay rate for the Kjeldahl
nitrogen portion of the total oxygen demand in the stream reach below

59

the main municipal waste source.

This high demand rate was indicated

also by the observed dissolved oxygen prof ile .

(Previous work by others

indicated an intensif ied rate of oxygen demand in this reach. )

The

Kjeldahl nitrogen level in this reach had the potential for an abnormal
decay rate .

With the exception o f this reach, a uniform decay rate was

used throughout the stream.

A uniform decay rate was used for the car

bonaceous portion of the total oxygen demand.

The presence of significant

algae concentrations as evidenced by diurnal dissolved oxygen fluctuations,

and visual observations of the stream, is believed reponsible .for the
anomalous BOD data found during the 1965 survey .

Resurveys during 1966

indicated a somewhat dif ferent decay rate which more closely resembled
the nitrogen decay rate.

This rate was used for the f inal match run.

The

computed match run profiles are shown superimposed on the survey data
(Figures 15 and 16) .

Loadings f or the f inal match run are included in

Table 17.
The parameters determined for the match run were used to project the
expected dissolved oxygen prof iled for a number of flow and loading
conditions.

Minor modif ications were made for ease in projection changes.

All additional augmentation was assumed to have the same y ield for all
low flow conditions due to the m inor increase in flow below the initial
reach.

All waste sources were combined on a flow basis with the major

mun icipal source.

The concentrations used were those determined during

the 1965 survey.

For all projection runs, the initial stream parameters,

with the exception of flow, remained constant.

Figures. . 17 through 20 show computed d issolved oxygen prof iles for
the following situations:
60

Figure 17

1965 Sununer Sur vey Fl ow (75 cfs)

Temperature ranges - 15 c t o 30 c at s o c increments
Stream l oad ings - 1965 - 100% ; 1990 - 31 6%; and
2020 - 741%

F igure 18

7 Day Once in 10 Year F 1 OW (4 ] C f S )

Temperatur e ranges - 15 C t o 30 c at 5 c incr ements
Stream l oad ings - 1965 - 100%; 1990 - 316% ; and
2020 - 741%

Figure 19

1 Day Once in 10 Year Flow (38 cfs)

0
Temperature ranges - 1 5 c t o 30 c at s c increments
Stream l oadings - 1965 - 100%; 1990 - 316%; and
2020 - 741%

Figure 20

Augmented Fl ow (100 cfs)

Temperature ranges - 15 C t o 30 C at s 0 c increments
Stream l oadings - 1965 - 100%; 1990 - 316%; and
2020 - 741 %

61

TABLE 17 . FLINT RIVER - LOADINGS FOR MATCH RUN - 1965 MODEL

5-Day BOD
mg/1
#/day

MGD

Flow
cfs

2.5 . 9

40. l

12

2.590

Flushing

.4

o . 6.

41

Montrose

1.3

2.o

2 .6

48 . S

-----Municipal Wastes
Flint

Ultimate BOD
mg/1 #/day

Kjeldahl N .
mg/1 #/day

3240

12 . 7

2690

4.0

847

137

is

53

177

11 . 2

37

2.0

101

1090

147

1.590

11 . 8

128

o.o

4.0

88

3 .5

102

2.3

so

5 .0

108

7.5 . 0

2040

S .6

2270

.9

364

4.9

1980

-------Industrial Wastes

C\

Brent Run

Tributary Flo
Flint
(Initia l )

Dissolved Oxygen
#/day
mg/1

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FL I N T R V E R
D I SS O LV E D O X Y G E N P R OF i L ES

C OM P U TED

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1 9 6 5 S U M M E R S U R V E Y F LOW

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FLINT R 1VER
C OM P U TED D I S S O L V E D O }{ V G E N P R O F I L E S

18

E F F E C T O F T E M P E R AT U R E A N D L O A D I N G S
7 D AY O N C E I N 1 0 V E A R F L O W

LEG E N D

- -- re 0c

2 f--r.--lt----l:.L,.-+,.--J.-.J.-=======-
200
c -J-_..j
25 C
0
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0e
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RIVER M IL E S

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RIVER M ILES

r I GUR E

FLINT R I VER
C O M PU T.E D D I S S O L V E D O X Y G E N P R O F I L E S

1 :;,

E F F E CT O F T E M P E R AT U R E A N D L O A D I N G S
I D AY O N C E I N 1 0 Y E A R F L O W

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30
10

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20

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10

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R I V E R MIL E S

20

10

2 0 2 0 LOADINGS

-- --

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F L I NT R i VER
CO M P UT E D D I S S O LV E D O X Y G E N P R O F I L E S
E F F E C T O F T E M P E R AT U R E A N O
AUG M E NT E D FLOW

LOA DINGS

LE G E N D
---

15c

- - - - --

2s c
3 0 c

200
C-!.-l
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20
30
40
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RIVER M I L ES

- -

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10

SUMMARY AND WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS

Water quality of the Flint R iver Basin is, in general, good above
and degraded below the City of Flint .
Creek is managed as a trout stream .

The upper portion of Kearsley

The Flint River provides water

supply for the City of Flint, with storage in the Holloway Reservo ir
located 20 miles upstream .

The stream reaches below the municipalities

have moderate levels of coliform bacteria ,

Below the City o f Flint,

however, these levels are excessive during the non-chlorination period .

The Flint River below Flint has extremely high levels of nutrients levels of nitrate were 2 mg/1 and phosphate about 4 . 4 mg/1 in 1965 .
Chloride levels were in excess o f 8 0 mg/1 in this area.

A severe dissolved

oxygen depression appears below the Flint sewage treatment plant .

The Flint River Basin above the confluence of the South Branch Flint
River is sparsely populated, having only two communities - North Branch
(8 32) , and Cli fford (330).
Branch Flint River .

Also located in this area is the Lapeer State and

Home Training School .

is Metamora (390) .

Lapeer (8, 0 20) is located midway up the South

The only other community in this part of the basin

The community of Columbiaville (78 9) is located on

the Flint River about 10 miles above the headwaters of the Holloway
Reservoir.

Otisville (70 1) and Otter Lake (5 23) are two communities in

the Flint River drainage below Holloway Reservoir.

with the Flint River at the City of Flint .

Kearsley Creek joins

Ortonville (702) is at its

headwaters, and Davison (1, 745) is on Black Creek near its confluence
with Kearsley Creek.

Both communities are upstream of Kearsley Creek

Reservoir, which is a 2, 000 acre- feet emergency water supply for the C ity

69

of Flint.

The City of Flint, in 1960, had a population of 196, 940 and

is the third largest city in Michigan.

located in the immediate area :

There are numerous suburbs

Burton Township (29,700), Flint Town

ship (300), City of Flushing (3 , 761), Mt. Morris Township (17, 000),
Grand Blanc ( 1, 565), Grand Blanc Township (640).
other communities are :

Further downstream,

Mont;r ose (1, 466), and on the tributaries Mt.

Morris (3, 484), and Clio (2, 212).

The community of New Lothrop (5 10)

is located on Mistequay Creek , a tributary to the Fl int River near its

confluence with the Shiawassee River .

Mistequay Creek joins the natural

channel of the Flint River downstream of the Cutoff Canal which diverts
excess flows to the Shiawassee R iver.
The following communities provide secondary waste treatment :

Flint,

Flushing, Davison, Lapeer, Lapeer State Home and Training School, and
Swartz Creek.

The communities of Columb iaville and North Branch have no

formal treatment system, although there are some sewers which discharge
raw or semi- treated sewage to the Flint River.

There are a number of

industrial sources in the City of Flint which discharge directly to

various points along the Flint River .

These include the following divi

sions of the General Motors Corporation :

AC Spark Plug, Buick, Chevrolet

Flint, Ternstedt, Chevrolet Assembly Plant , and Chevrolet Engine and

Stamping Plant.

The Fisher Body Division of General Motors Corporation

is located in the connnunity of Grand Blanc, and the Parts Division General Motors Corporation is located in the community of Swartz Creek.
All of these industrial sources are rated adequate by the Michigan Water
Resources Commission.

The Vogt Packing Company at Grand Blanc is rated

as "providing centrol, " although the adequacy of control has not been

70

established.

Many communities in the basin have jo ined the Genesee

County-Metropolitan System which has six districts for sanitary sewers

and sewage treatment plants.
In February 1965, a reconnaissance survey of the Flint River from
above Columbiaville to its confluence with the Shiawassee River was
conducted .

Twenty-one locations on 61 miles of stream were sampled .

Moderately high bacterial levels were found from Columbiaville to the

Holloway Reservoir, where a decrease in bacterial c oncentration was
noted.

High bacterial levels were found below the outfall of the Flint

sewage treatment plant.

area of Montrose.

The bacterial level below Flint declined in the

A moderate increase in concentration was noted in the

lower ten miles of stream , although there was an abrupt decrease in the
last two miles below the Flint River Cutoff Canal.

Chloride conc entra

t ions increased moderately from above Columbiaville to the C ity of Flint,

and more than doubled at the City of Flint to remain at a high level
throughout the remainder of the stream.

A severe dissolved oxygen

depletion was noted below the City of Flint.

A moderate depression was

noted in the area from above Columbiaville to the Holloway Reservoir.

An

increase in dissolved oxygen occurred in passage through the reservoir.

Two locations on the Flint R iver were sampled routinely by the FWPCA
in 1965.
Montrose.

These were above the C ity of Flint and at the community of

The results are indicated on Table 18.

The data ind icate that a substantial increase occurs in the pollutional
level of the river from Flint and the other sources.

Chloride level

tripled, the nitrogen levels - n itrate , nitrite , and ammonia - doubled.

The phosphate levels, however , increased 20 times (2 , 000 percent) from a

71

level of 0 . 2 mg/1 above Flint to a level of 4 . 0 mg/1 at Montrose .

The

increase was even more spectacular during the lower flow periods (summer) .
There was not as great a difference in the dissolved oxygen and BOD levels
of the two locations due to the recovery zone of fifteen miles of stream
passage .

Bacterial densities increased substantially in the stream ,

although this increase was predominantly during non- disinfection period

of September to May .
An; ,additional location on the Flint River at Flushing , downstream
from the Flint sewage treatment plant, was sampled from September to
December 1965 .

The results are indicated on Table 18 .

The degraded quality of the river is evident from the data.

demand is indicated by both the BOD

Organic

and ammonia nitrogen levels .

Nutrient levels - nitrate and phosphate - increased considerably in the

river ' s passage through the Flint area, with a fiftyfold increase (5, 000
percent) in the phosphate concentration.

Chlorides increased fourfold ;

dissolved oxygen levels were low even though the sampling period did not
include the high temperature low flow midsummer period .

Bacterial

densities were high, although the disinfection period was not included
in the survey .
Samples were collected on a monthly basis from May to November at
two locations in the Basin.

These were Farmers Creek at Lapeer and the

headwaters of Swartz Creek near Holly .

The results of those analyses

are listed on Table 18 .

The data indicate that there is considerably more pollution entering
Farmers Creek than Swartz Creek, as evidenced by the higher chloride and
phosphate levels .

rhe Farmers Creek sampling stat ion was located on the

72

grounds of the Lapeer State Home and Tra ining School, a short distance
upstream from the sewage treatment plant .

The headwaters of Swartz Creek

are in Holly State Recreation Area, a few miles upstream .

The community

of Holly is at the headwaters of the Shiawassee River, therefore, there

are no signif icant sources of pollution to the Creek .

The data indicate

quality which may be expected in an UPJ? Olluted stream .

Due to the dissolved oxygen depression noted below the City of Flint
in a reconnaissance study, an intensif ied survey was conducted during
the sunnner of 1965 .

Seven locations, at about 6-mile intervals along the

lower 40 miles of the river from above Flint to below the community of
Fosters, we re sampled every 4 hours for 24 hours.

Dissolved oxygen and

temperature determinations were made on these samples .

were prepared for other .parameters and analyzed ,

Composites

Samples for bacterio

logical analysis were collected on two of the six runs .

Above the City of Flint, the water quality approx imated that of
Swartz Creek near Holly and Farmers Creek at Lapeer .
chloride, and bacterial levels were low.

Nutrients, BOD,

The only major sources of

wastes are Lapeer and Lapeer State Home and Training School sewage treat
ment plants on the South Branch Flint River about 10 miles from its con
fluence with the Flint.

In the 20 miles of stream from the confluence

point to Flint is the 15, 350 acre-feet Holloway Reservoir .

There was a moderate increase in the pollutional level o f the Flint
River passing through the City of Flint .

There are three direct indus

trial sources on the river, f ive industrial, and two municipal sources
on the tributaries - Kearsley Creek, Thread River, and Swartz Creek,
which join the Flint

River in the City of Flint ,

73

The chlor ide level

tri_p'1ed, and the phosphates increased from 0.08 to 1.70 mg/1 - a twenty
fold increase.

There was a minor decrease in dissolved oxygen level.

Below the Flint sewage treatment plant outfall , at a location above

the City of F lushing sewage treatment plant, there were excessive increases
in most pollution indicies.
at this level downstream.

Chlorides increased to 100 mg/1 and remained

Nitrates increased to 2 . 8 mg/1 as nitrogen.

The

total phosphate concentration in the . river increased to 1 1 . 8 mg/1 and

remained at this level for the remainder of the stream.

The oxidizable

itrogen concentration increased to 2.5 mg/1 as nitrogen , and accounted

for severe oxygen depletion found in the river at this point.

Both the

BOD and COD (chemical oxygen demand) increased to moderate levels of

pollution and continued to increase downstream.
only moderately polluted waters.

Bacterial levels indicated

Brent Run, a tributary which joins the

Flint River at Montrose, and which receives the effluent from the Tern
stedt Division, General Motors Corporation, had high levels of chlorides,
dissolved solids, and conductivity.

Both nitrogen and phosphate concen

trations in this stream were high , although BOD and COD levels were low.
The dissolved oxygen level was at saturation.
There was considerable diurnal variation in dissolved oxygen at all
stations.

Maximum variation (10 mg/1) was found in the recovery area near

Montrose.

Average daily concentration at this location and at all down

stream locations was above saturation .

Minimum observed dissolv ed

oxygen - 0. 8 mg/1 - was just above the Flushing sewage teatment plant
outfall.

Average daily concentration at this location was at 3.5 mg/1.

The dissolved oxygen sag from above the City of Flint to this location
showed an average reduction of 5 mg/1 in the stream. _

74

The City of F l int presently ( 1965 ) accounts for in excess of 90

percent of the waste flows in the basin.

Present removal efficiency is

in excess of 90 percent for this p lant in terms of 5- day BOD load ings.
The City of F l int currently obtains its water supply from the Fl int River
with return via the F l int sewage treatment plant.

During the seven day

once-inten- year low flow , about 88 percent of the river flow yield bel ow
F l int wou ld have passed through the sewage treatment plant unless excess c; ::
water was released from storage .

This area is expected to have a tie-in

to the Lake Huron water supply under construction by the City of Detroit.
With water supply from Lake Huron, the storage now avai lable in Hol loway
Reservoir could sustain a f low of 100 cfs in excess of sewage treatment
plant flows during drought years .
The present high ratio of sewage treatment plant flow to natura l
river flow results in high concentrations of nutrients - 10 mg/1 of total
phosphates and 3 mg/1 of nitrate- n itrogen were found during the 1965
survey, which had an average flow of 75 cfs - about 1-1/2 times the 7 day
once-in-ten-year flow.

The concentrations remained at about the same

level throughout the stream to its junction in the Shiawassee F lats area .
The effect of these nutr ients in the F l int River was read i l y apparent
in both the physica l observations of algae and in the supersaturated
dissolved oxygen levels caused by photosynthesis.

The sewage treatment

plant phosphate level of about 3 0 mg/ 1 represents approximately 50 per

cent removal.

The F l int area d ischarges increased the phosphate l evel

by about 140 times during the 1965 survey.

Phosphate removal of 95

percent (3 mg/ 1 effluent ) would have resulted in a river concentration

of 1.7 mg/1 during the 1965 survey.

75

The principal quality demanding uses. pf water in the Flint River

Basin are municipal and industrial water supply, aquatic life, recreation
and aesthetics.
The use of the Flint River as a source of water for industrial and
municipal use is expected to decrease considerably with the completion
of the Lake Huron-Flint Project of the Detroit Water Services.

A prime

consideration for quality objectives is the impact of the Flint River on

the Saginaw River.

The Flint River, with approximately 24 percent of the

flow, contributes about 50 percent of the phosphate loadings to the

Saginaw River.

The removal of nutrients and organic materials is desirable

also to prevent the severe algal blooms which currently degrade even the
aesthetic quality of the Flint River below Flint.

76

Table 18 . Water Quall ty

Parameters

FLINT RIVER

1965

- Farmer ' s Creek

NSX29 )Avg
Low
High

NS

6 _ _ Swartz . Creek
Y?6Q aboxe _Fli:Q.:t
l:r
Avg
Lov
Av.
Hir-.,h
NS
Ir.m
Hi ah

Dis solved Oxygen

5-day BOD

..

NH3 -N

0.26

0 . 13

0 . 33

14

Org-N

0 . 12

0 .07

0.18

14

N03 -N

0.2

0.1

o.4

..

0 .03 )0.01

Total POJ!-

. 0.3

0.2

Total Sol. P04

0.3

0.2

_0 . 3

14

..

481 -

14

N02-N

o.o4
0.5

0. 25

0 . 17

0 . 12

0 . 08

0 . 35

0.1

0.1

12

10 .6

6.4

13 . 2

.8

0 . 59

0 . 23

0.26

0 . 10

2 . 65

0 . 70

14

o.8

0.2

1.6

10

0 . 02

0 . 01

14

0 . 03

io . o4

0 . 60

<0. 04

o . 4o

394

314

..

4
5

'

0 . 02

0.16
0.2

o . oo > 0 . 03
.cC.0. 04

0.30

<0.04

0 . 10

5 08

399

280

67 5

12

29

Total Solids

424

334

Suspended Solids

10

17

14

20

44

12

43

24

13

, .: 67

16

28

13

63

11

7.7

8.4

15

7.9

7.6

8.5

7. 9

Vol . Susp . Solids

er

Phenol
pH

8.1

16

. .
'-

7.4

8.4

Table 18.

X 295 . . Farmer ' s Creek

Avg
High
Low

Parame ters

NS

Total Iron

100

Sodium

19

Potassium

32

Calcium

72

llignesium.

Sulfate

Total Hardness

Conductivity

Total Coliform

Fecal Coliform

Fecal Strep

..

.......
00

FLINT RIVER
1965

Wo.tcr Quality (cont ' d )

..

'

NS

X260 .above Flint

High
I Avg Low

X2G6
S-wartz . . r.-rPek
Low
Hi P"Jl
NS Avg

14

1400

100

3600

200

44

12

26

100

12

. 16

70

11_

73

14

65

58

77

54

28

46

62

20

33

14

26 .

4o

15

26

50

40

70

Bo

21

14

15
50

120

37

25 3

- 190

326

66

15

40

650

560

740

17

520

330

730

420

3 50

480

15

1, 500

360 18, 000

13

220

13

.LJ.00

60

1,700

12 ..>l , 500

..

Table 18 . rlater Quality (cont 'd)

Parameters
Dissolved Oxygen

NS

5-day BOD

NH3-N

Org-N

N03-N

N02-N

..

Total POl1-

Total Sol. P04

Total Solids

Suspended Solids

Vol . Susp . Solids

er

FLINT RIVER

1965

X220 at Flushing
[Avg

4 .2
10

4 . 70
0 . 55

1.9

0 .29

.9.7

7. 4

. 5 30

Low

NS

X240 at Montrose
Avg

1.8

9 .2

12

15

3 . 50

0. 35
o.8

6 . 20
0.96

3 .4

5 .9

15 .2

4.8

470

11

101

High

12.8
5 82

5 .2

12 . 9

14 1.15

0 . 17

11

14
14

14

14

12

92

112

13

pH

6"

7.4

7.0

7.6

1. 9

4.1

0 . 50

0. 7

4 _. 6

0.5

12 . 8

5 05

8.8

358

27

771

83

28 .

15

7.8

7.4

..

Avrr

,_

0 . 29

0.1

16
16

3.2

NS

3 . 38

0 . 10

10 0 . 06 0 . 017

14 0.26

14

Hi cll

9.7

19

Phenol

Low

122
32
252
15

8.4

Low

High

Table 18 . Water Quality (cont ' d )

Pruia.me ters

'

Avg

pota.ssium

. .

Calcium

NS

X240 at Montrose
Low
High
Avg

>100

13

16

22

58

51

High

14

L.. 100

. .

Low

200

' .

s odium

(X)
0

X250 at Flushing

NS

To tal Iron

FLINT RIVER
1965

. .

.Q.00

8300

62

12

248

13

15

39

66

14

62

45

74

14

45

Magne sium

lT

12

25

14

23

Sulfate

89

60

110

14

89

49

132

Total Hardness

226

210

268

14

239

176

320

Conductivity

810

740

900

17

700

430

1160

Total Coliform

3 , 310;000 17 , ooo 680, 00<

15 49 , 000 400 370, 000

Fecal Coliform

13

Fecal Strep

3 ..

..

'

/ 1

! . '

88,ooo
4,200

3 ,200 130, 00(

490

8 , 30c

13

5 , 3 00

10

30, 000

450 . 10

3 , 5 00

NS

Avg

Low

Hi gh

NOTm

tor

WATER 'PALI'l'r '.rABLm3

NS

Number ot samples

Chemical Parameters

Cl
Fe
S04
Si
Ca

Chloride
Iron
Sullate
Silica
Calcium.

Magnesium
Sodium
Pot.assium
Carbonate
Bicarbonate

Total bardnesa : reported as CaC03

liitrogens :

ammonia (:rm3) , organic, nitrates {N03) , and

nitrites (N<>2) reported as nitrogen equivalent (N)

Phosphates :

reported as P04

Total. phosphates include : ortho, poly, biological., and organic

!rotal soluble phosphates include : soluble ortho, soluble poly, and
soluble orpnic
reported in standard units

pK :

All reulta recorded 1D milligrams per liter (mg/1) except :

phenols and iron micrograms per liter (ug/1)

conductivity

.-. micromhos per centimeter ( umhos/cm)

Microbiological Parameters
Total Coliform
)
Fecal Coli:torm
)
Fecal Streptococcus) .
Tot.al

Plate

Count :

reported as oganisms(Mr) /100 ml

n ot bacteria/ml

Median value is -used. for "average" -statistic except as noted.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Indeterm1nate values (less than or greater than > ) not used

1D calculating average

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