Kalamazoo awards $11.2m electrical and generator overhaul at WTP 25

Kalamazoo awards $11.2m electrical and generator overhaul at WTP 25The modernization project will replace 1970s-era motor controls, relocate electrical equipment to a dedicated building, and transition the plant's backup power from diesel to natural gas.

LD Docsa Associates won the $11.2 million construction contract, supported by $753,400 in engineering services from Tetra Tech.

The upgrade enables automated flow pacing for the city's phosphate-based optimized corrosion control program.

Replacing the existing diesel generator with a natural gas unit will eliminate fuel storage risks in the well field.

Obsolete motor controls will be moved out of the humid pump room into a new OSHA-compliant outbuilding.

The Kalamazoo City Commission approved an $11.2 million contract with LD Docsa Associates on July 20, 2026, for the Treatment Plant No. 25 Electrical Reliability Project. Water Treatment Plant No. 25, originally constructed in 1978, operates as a 24/7 baseload station supplying drinking water to Comstock, Richland, and Kalamazoo townships. Public Services Director James J. Baker explained to the commission that the facility's motor control centers and electrical systems are obsolete. Currently, the electrical equipment is housed in the same wet, humid room as the plant's pumps and piping. The modernization project will relocate the electrical components to a dedicated outbuilding to meet modern arc flash and OSHA safety standards. A major operational driver for the upgrade is the city's optimized corrosion control program. Baker noted that the new automated motor controls will allow the plant to accurately meter flow and pace the injection of phosphate blends across the station's entire hydraulic range. The project also addresses critical wellhead protection and climate resilience concerns. The plant's existing diesel-powered standby generator—which lacks the capacity to run all pumps simultaneously—will be replaced with a permanent natural gas generator. "Having a diesel-powered generator in a well field gives us a lot of concerns when we talk about wellhead protection," Baker said, noting that the transition to natural gas aligns with local ordinances and eliminates the risk of fuel spills near the water source. The new generator and automatic transfer switch will be capable of powering the entire treatment plant during increasingly frequent severe weather events. Funding will be drawn from the city's 2026 and 2027 Water Capital Improvement Budgets. The commission also approved a related $753,400 construction engineering agreement with Tetra Tech to oversee the work. The WTP 25 overhaul was the largest component of more than $18 million in water and wastewater capital contracts awarded during the meeting, which also included a $3 million smart meter expansion and a $1.5 million design contract for secondary clarifier rehabilitation at the city's Water Reclamation Plant.