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Utilities · Detroit, MI

Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept ranks #93,626 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a mixed safety record: 6 violations across 3 inspections.

Lower half by penalty17% serious
$450
OSHA penalties
6
Violations cited
3
OSHA inspections
#93,626
of 99,447 penalized employers

Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept in Detroit, MI has been the subject of 3 OSHA workplace inspections and 6 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $450. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept 3 times over 2 years, roughly annually. These inspections resulted in 6 violations, averaging 2.0 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #93,626 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the lower half of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 1 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Utilities industry average of 3 inspections per employer, this sits roughly in line with peers (1.1x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Rio Bravo Rocklin in Lincoln, CA is another utilities employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $450 in current penalties.

2.0
violations per inspection
16.7%
of violations were serious
#93,626
of 99,447 penalized employers

Compliance score

D 61/100
  • D OSHA safety compliance: 6 violations across 3 OSHA inspections (2.0 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.

Channels are separate federal datasets: a dimension marked not applicable simply has no record in that dataset for this employer, not a good or bad score.

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How Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Utilities per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept runs well below peers (0.08x the sector average) in total OSHA penalties.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts As of 2026

Where this penalty ranks nationally

Total current OSHA penalty vs every U.S. employer with a nonzero penalty

$450 Top 6% most affordable more affordable than 94% of 99,447 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 43,959 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). This entry sits in this band. $5,000–$10,000: 20,304 U.S. employers with a penalty (20%). Above this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 11,027 U.S. employers with a penalty (11%). Above this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 6,546 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). Above this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,175 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). Above this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 2,877 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). Above this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 2,036 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,493 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1,095 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 785 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 5,150 U.S. employers with a penalty (5%). Above this entry. This employer $0 $55,000 every penalized U.S. employer, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. employers with a penalty. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026

Does more inspection scrutiny mean more findings?

Each dot is one of 21 Utilities employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept.

Frequently inspected, many findingsRarely inspected, many findingsFrequently inspected, clean recordBelow median on both3.03.033.03.006.613.119.726.3OSHA inspectionsViolations citedBURLINGTON CITY WATE…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 11CHUCKEY UTILITY DIST…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 3ENDICOTT VIL WATER D…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 5CARTHAGE/WEST CARTHA…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 9PUBLIC UTILITY DIST 1, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 0YOUNGS-RIVER LEWIS &…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 3CECIL COUNTY GOVERNM…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 25HEMPSTEAD TN WATER D…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 14ITHACA CITY DPW WATE…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 10ENERGY NORTHWEST, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 0WEST CARTHAGE VILL R…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 3DANC-CARTHAGE/WEST C…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 8CAYUGA VILL WWTP, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 8FERRY COUNTY PUD, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 0CITY OF GRIGGSVILLE-…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 3PARIS HENRY COUNTY P…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 13AEE TECNICA DE GUAYN…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 0JAMESTOWN BPU ALLEN …, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 2PUBLIC SERVICE COMPA…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 9NESKOWIN REGIONAL SA…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 4Detroit Water & Sewe…, OSHA inspections: 3 · Violations cited: 6
Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept has 3 OSHA inspections on record and 6 violations cited. The crosshair marks the median among these Utilities peers. Across this sector's tracked employers, more inspections is moderately associated with more violations found -- not a coincidence, but not a guarantee either.

Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept in the Utilities enforcement ledger

Among 866 Utilities employers with OSHA penalties on file, Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept ranks #797 at $450 current penalty.

How Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept Compares

Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept's 2.00 violations per inspection compares to the Utilities sector average of 6.1 violations per employer.

Against the Utilities industry average of $5,509 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs well below peers (0.08x the sector average).

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

3

First Inspection

2010-09-13

Last Inspection

2012-09-07

Inspection Span

2 yrs

Violations / Inspection

2.0

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$150

Industry Avg / Inspection

$2,104

What this shows 3 inspections over 2 years, averaging 2.0 violations per visit. That's $150 per inspection vs. the Utilities average of $2,104.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

1

Serious

16.7% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

5

Other-Than-Serious

83.3% of total

What this shows Serious violations involve hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate intentional or knowing disregard of the law. Repeat violations are for hazards previously cited within the past 5 years.

Enforcement detail

Penalty Analysis

Initial Penalty Assessed

$1,800

Current Penalty Amount

$450

Penalty Reduction

75.0%

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $1,350 from the initial assessment of $1,800. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Industry Safety Context: Utilities

How Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept compares to the Utilities sector, which has 2,996 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept Industry Avg
Inspections 3 2.6
Violations 6 6.1
Total Penalty $450 $5,509
Avg Penalty per Inspection $150 $2,104
View all 2,996 employers in Utilities →

Nationwide Utilities peers with similar penalties or inspection counts

Two OSHA-record peer sets for Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept, both outside MI so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.

Similar current OSHA penalty

Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($450 here).

City of Aurora - PW - Water Production Division $450 IL Alameda County Water District $450 CA Rio Bravo Rocklin $450 CA Roger $435 CA

Similar OSHA inspection count

Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (3 inspections here).

Burlington City Water Treatment Plant 3 insp. Burlington City, NJ Chuckey Utility District - Administration 3 insp. Greeneville, TN Endicott Vil Water Dept Pine ST Pumphouse 3 insp. Endicott, NY Carthage/West Carthage Vill WWTP 3 insp. Carthage, NY

Nearby & Similar Employers in Utilities

Showing 5 of 2995 other employers tracked in this sector.

City of Aurora - PW - Water Production Division
Aurora, IL
2 inspections $450
Alameda County Water District
Newark, CA
2 inspections $450
Rio Bravo Rocklin
Lincoln, CA
2 inspections $450
Roger
Arcata, CA
2 inspections $435
Department of Water and Power City of los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
3 inspections $475

Compare Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept vs City of Aurora - PW - Water Production Division side-by-side →

What to do with this record

Use Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.

  • A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept against City of Aurora - PW - Water Production Division, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
  • See whether Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept's inspection and penalty record is typical for Utilities or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Utilities sector
  • Before you accept a job or raise a safety concern, search any employer for its own OSHA inspection history the same way you found this one. Search employers

Figures reflect closed OSHA and WHD federal enforcement actions on record (2010–2026); not every workplace issue results in an inspection or investigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept's workplace safety record is mixed, with some compliance concerns. The employer has 6 violations across 3 inspections, including 1 serious violations. Compared to Utilities industry peers, this is below average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept have? ▼
Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept has 6 OSHA violations on record, including 1 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $450.
How many OSHA inspections has Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept had? ▼
Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept has had 3 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2010-09-13 and the most recent on 2012-09-07. This averages 2.0 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept? ▼
Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept has been assessed $450 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $1,800 (a 75.0% reduction).
Does Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept has 1 serious violations. Serious violations involve hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate the employer intentionally or knowingly disregarded the law.
What industry does Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept operate in? ▼
Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept operates in the Utilities sector (NAICS code 221310). This industry has 2,996 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 7,843 total OSHA inspections and $16.51M in cumulative penalties.
Where does Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept rank nationally on OSHA penalties? ▼
Among the 99,447 U.S. employers with a nonzero current OSHA penalty in PlainWorker's corpus, Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept ranks #93,626 (the lower half of penalized employers nationally). The ordinal is a live COUNT of employers with a lower total_current_penalty; see the methodology page for the exact derivation.
How does Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept's safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept's total OSHA penalty of $450 is below the Utilities industry average of $5,509 per employer. The employer has 3 inspections compared to the industry average of 2.6 per employer. For a direct comparison, Rio Bravo Rocklin in Lincoln, CA is a similar utilities employer with $450 in current penalties.
Data Sources & Methodology ▼

Data as of 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA, WHD).

Source: OSHA Enforcement Data

Inspection and violation records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, covering the period 2010–2026. Includes inspection dates, violation types (serious, willful, repeat, other-than-serious), and penalty amounts. Penalties shown are current assessed amounts and may differ from original citations due to settlement, contest, or reduction.

Source: Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Compliance actions from the WHD, covering enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including minimum wage, overtime, and child labor violations. Back wages represent amounts owed to affected employees as determined by WHD investigations.

Employer Matching

Employers are matched across OSHA and WHD datasets by name, state, and city. Employers included in PlainWorker have 2 or more OSHA inspections or $1,000+ in WHD back wages. Data is updated monthly from data.dol.gov.

Verify with OSHA establishment search →

Every figure on PlainWorker is rendered directly from official U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and Wage & Hour Division enforcement records, no number is typed in by an editor. This employer's ratios (penalty-per-violation, industry comparisons) are computed live from the 3 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.