Shelby Review

State Representative Ron Robinson from Utica is advocating for the "Brown Alert," a system designed to inform Michigan residents when local waterways are contaminated with harmful levels of E. coli or raw sewage.

Robinson has co-sponsored House Bill 4427, which mandates that local drain or public works commissioners report water contamination incidents to emergency managers. These managers would then issue public alerts within 12 hours using the federal Wireless Emergency Alerts system.

The initiative aims to address the ongoing problem of contaminated sewage from Oakland County being discharged into Macomb County waterways without community warnings.

"That situation puts communities at risk and leaves many residents unaware of the potential danger," Robinson stated. He emphasized, "Clean water is one of Michigan’s most valuable resources. We need to do everything we can to ensure people are informed when something threatens it."

The alert system could be utilized to warn about unsafe swimming conditions, risks to drinking water, or environmental harm affecting wildlife and ecosystems.

"This plan is about transparency and public safety," Robinson added. "People need to know when contamination occurs so they can protect themselves and their families. No one should learn about a serious public health threat days after the fact."