Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday with information from the Wolverine Pipe Line Company.
Enbridge Pipelines Toledo Inc. will be hydraulically testing a pipeline it is leasing in Washtenaw County on Wednesday before it is put into operational use April 1.
The pipeline will be used to transport crude oil directly to Marathon Petroleum Corporation's Detroit refinery as a part of the $190 million Line 79 expansion project -- a capability Enbridge previously did not have.
Map of the Line 79 project.
Courtesy of Enbridge
The pipeline runs east to west from Fletcher and Ellsworth roads in Freedom Township, across Lodi, Pittsfield and Ypsilanti townships to Van Buren Township in Romulus. The line passes through a residential area just south of the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport in Pittsfield Township.
Enbridge has leased the pipeline and intends to use it to transport crude oil that will be flowing through the new Line 79 pipeline Enbridge is building in northwestern Washtenaw County, said Jason Manshum, spokesman for Enbridge.
As a safety precaution, Enbridge is testing the new line before running crude oil through it by running water through the line at a higher pressure.
“When we start using a leased line, we’ll always take this step of hydrotesting,” Manshum said, noting the procedure checks both the safety and integrity of the line.
It will be tested Wednesday during daylight hours, using a non-toxic water mixture that will be dyed fluorescent yellow and will be pushed through the pipe at a pressure of 1,500 psi. That's higher than the pressure at which crude oil would flow through the line at about 1,000 psi. Signs will be placed along the line during the test asking people to stay a minimum of 100 feet from the testing area, Manshum said.
Residents within 100 to 110 feet of the pipeline were notified of the test in advance, and were given the option of staying in a hotel for two nights during the test at Enbridge’s expense. Enbridge gave residents who opted to stay in a hotel a food allowance, and covered boarding costs for pets.
About 30 percent of the residents living within 100 feet of the pipeline opted to stay in a hotel during the test, Manshum.
The primary reason to ask people living nearby to temporarily relocate is because of the inconvenience factor, Manshum said.
“There will be added vehicle traffic,” Manshum said. “We may have crews there before sunrise in the right-of-way area, and after sunset.”
Crews will be visually inspecting the pipeline during the test. The right-of-way easement along the Wolverine pipeline is about 50 feet on both sides, Manshum said.
Construction of Line 79 is almost complete. It runs adjacent and parallel to Enbridge’s Line 17, which takes crude oil from the cross-country Line 6B at the Stockbridge junction and transports it south to Toledo.
Line 6B gets its oil from the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada. It also carries some oil from North Dakota.
The increased capacity Line 79 will provide means more oil will be flowing from Line 6B through Washtenaw County to the refineries in Toledo and Detroit.
The Wolverine pipeline was last used in June of 2012, according to a spokesman for the company. The Line 79 project is slated to be operation April 1.
In order to finish the project on time, Enbridge agreed to a $1.3 million contract with the Washtenaw County Road Commission to fix roads the company damaged during construction.
If leaks are observed during the testing period, the Pittsfield Township Department of Public Safety asks that people call the emergency line at (800) 858-5253.
For questions regarding Enbridge's testing of the Wolverine line, call 1-855-788-7806.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.