Public Works Division
Engineering Section

Canton's Public Works Division falls under the Municipal Services Department or MSD.  MSD is made up of Building and Inspection Services, Planning Services and of course Public Works.  Public Works is the biggest division in MSD and is broken into six sections; Engineering, Fleet Maintenance, Water, Sanitary Sewer, Stormwater and Customer Service.  Each section is responsible for the following:

Engineering:  Located on the second floor of Canton's Administration Building, Engineering ensures that the community engineering design and construction standards are met.  Engineering works in the areas of utilities, drainage infrastructure, special assessment districts, road paving, flood plains and wetlands, and outside agency permits.  In addition, they host several special projects a year such as River Day, Household Hazardous Waste Round-Up, and National Public Works Week.  This section of Public Works is also in charge of the annual Sidewalk Replacement Program.  To learn more about    the Engineering Section and download applications for public and private projects please click here.

Fleet Maintenance:  Located behind Canton's Fire Station One right next to the Administration Building, Fleet is responsible for the maintenance and repair of over 170 township owned vehicles and equipment.

Water:  Water. Sanitary Sewer, Stormwater and Customer Service are all  located in the Division of Public Works Building on Sheldon Road just South of Michigan Avenue and can be reached between the hours of 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 734/397-1011.  Water is in charge of installing residential water taps and keeping over eight million gallons of water clean and pressurized for businesses and homes 24 hours a day.

Sanitary Sewer: Sewer is in charge of making sure capacity is available for all new development as well as maintaining and cleaning all sewer line in the community.

Stormwater:  Stormwater is in charge of retro-fitting area detention ponds, cleaning drains, dealing with flooding and drain issues and street sweeping.

Customer Service:  Customer Service handles all customer complaints and works with the cross connection control program to ensure Canton's water system is not contaminated.

River Day

Next month, Canton’s Municipal Services, Public Safety and Leisure Services Departments will team up to bring the community a large celebration when they combine River Day with the highly anticipated opening of the new Lower Rouge River Recreational Trail.

Canton’s Annual River Day Celebration and the Grand Opening of the Lower Rouge River Recreational Trail will be held on Saturday, June 7. Both activities will take place along the Lower Rouge River, located at Michigan Avenue and Morton Taylor Road.

River Day is a celebration of the rivers in the southeast Michigan region. Every year on the first Saturday of June, hundreds of volunteers make a difference by helping to preserve the quality of Canton’s creeks and streams. River day takes place rain or shine and volunteers of all ages including residents, students and scout troops are encouraged to participate.

River Day will be held from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. and will include nature walks, bird house building, river cleaning efforts, guided tours, and planting of native trees and shrubs for restoration and stabilization. Volunteers registering before 10 a.m. will also receive breakfast and lunch.

The Grand Opening of new Lower Rouge River Recreational Trail will be held from 1-4 p.m. The ribbon cutting will take place at 1:30 at the newly constructed trailhead located west of Morton Taylor just north of Michigan Avenue.

The Municipal Services, Public Safety and Leisure Services Departments partnered together on the Lower Rouge River Trail Project in an effort to meet the residential demand for more outdoor recreation opportunities. Construction of the entire trail system is a multi-phase project that will take years to complete. However, the first phase of the new system will open June 7 and run from the ITC Corridor west to Sheldon Road.

The new trail is approximately two to three miles in length and can be used for mountain biking, cross country skiing, running, and walking. Please note, motorized vehicles will not be permitted.

The grand opening is open to everyone and will include guided and interpretive hikes, musical entertainment, bicycle safety demonstrations, a climbing wall and recreation station, a scavenger hunt and much more.

For more information on River Day, please call 394-5150 or click here to download the flyer. For more information on the Grand Opening of the Lower Rouge River Trail system or to find out how you can become part of the steering committee, please call 394-5310.

Hazardous Waste Round-up

At this popular event, held the first Saturday in September after labor Day, Canton residents may bring items such as fluorescent light bulbs, paint, batteries, pesticides, and expired medicines to be collected for proper disposal in a hazardous waste landfill. For a complete list of what is and is not accepted at Canton's Hazardous Waste Round-Up click here.

Household hazardous waste may be dropped off by Canton residents throughout the year at Environmental Quality Company’s facility at 1010 Old Rawsonville Road in Ypsilanti Township. The fee to drop household hazardous materials at the facility is $20 for up to the first 40 lbs and then $0.50/lb thereafter. For more information call Environmental Quality Company at 734/576-0474.

National Public Works Week

In honor of National Public Works Week (NPWW), Canton would like to recognize the men and women who make up Canton’s Public Works Division.

Instituted as a public education campaign by the American Public Works Association in 1960, NPWW is observed each year during the third full week of May. This year’s celebration will begin Sunday, May 18 and continue through Saturday, May 24.

NPWW is designed to call attention to the importance of public works in the community and enhance the prestige of the often-unsung heroes of our society- the professionals who serve the public good every day with quite dedication.

Public Works reviews engineering designs and construction standards on all private and public water, sewer, and road projects. The staff also coordinates the annual sidewalk replacement program and holds annual events such as River Day and Hazardous Household Waste Round-Up. Field staff performs the required inspections, maintenance, and repairs of the storm water, water, and sewer systems in Canton. Fleet Maintenance mechanics maintain and repair over 170 township vehicles as well as numerous pieces of equipment.

NPWW is a great opportunity to thank and recognize these hard working individuals who provide and maintain the infrastructure and services that keep our community beautiful.

For more information on Canton’s Public Works Division please call 737/394-5150.

"Our Water. Our Future. Ours to Protect" Public Education Campaign

In an effort to educate the public on clean water, Canton is joining with the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) to promote their "Seven Simple Steps to Clean Water" public education campaign. The seven simple steps include, helping to keep pollution out of storm drains, using fertilizing sparingly and caringly, carefully storing and disposing of household cleaners, chemicals, and oil, cleaning up after your pet, practicing good car care, choosing earth friendly landscaping, and saving water. Informational material on these steps can be found in the Municipal Services display racks located on the second floor of Canton Administration building or by visiting SEMCOG's website.