Detroit unveils flood-fighting stormwater basins

• Mayor Mary Sheffield said Detroit is preparing for the future as rainstorms become more frequent and intense.

State of play: Two stormwater basins in Rouge Park serve the Far West Detroit neighborhood, lowering the risk of basement backups and flooding. They catch more than 119 million gallons of stormwater annually, slow the water's progress and move it to the Rouge River.

• Water is naturally filtered and must meet quality standards, per Sam Smalley, the water department's deputy director.

What they're saying: "It's a part of [the water department] and this administration's strategy to reduce the amount of stormwater entering Detroit's combined sewer system, through innovative green infrastructure projects," Sheffield said at a ribbon-cutting event Thursday.

Context: Detroit has a combined sewer system, meaning it takes stormwater and sanitary sewage into the same pipes.

• During big storms, the system can get overloaded and cause water contaminated with sewage to back up into streets, rivers and even people's basements. That's the problem they're trying to fix.

Plus, the city also replaced water mains and rehabilitated sewer lines nearby. It also disconnected downspouts to slow the flow of rainwater.