Kalamazoo approves $1.4m in water and wastewater upgrades, targeting algae mitigation and wellhead protection

Kalamazoo approves $1.4m in water and wastewater upgrades, targeting algae mitigation and wellhead protectionThe Michigan municipality greenlit a package of infrastructure contracts, including launder covers to protect tertiary filters at its water reclamation plant and a strategic land purchase to buffer a key Ranney well.

L.D. Docsa Associates secured a $406,177 contract to install launder covers on four secondary clarifiers to prevent algae from disrupting tertiary treatment.

The city approved a $57,000 land acquisition to establish a protective buffer around Treatment Plant No. 39, the only facility in the regional system utilizing a Ranney well.

Additional wastewater investments include a $593,958 combination sewer cleaner and a $252,381 change order to relocate pumps at the Woods Lake Lift Station.

The Kalamazoo City Commission authorized a suite of water and wastewater infrastructure investments totaling over $1.4 million during its May 18, 2026, meeting. The approved contracts address operational challenges at the city's water reclamation plant, sanitary sewer network maintenance, and long-term source water protection. To address operational disruptions at the Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant, the commission approved a $406,177 contract with L.D. Docsa Associates, Inc. The contractor will install launder covers on Secondary Clarifiers No. 5 through No. 8. According to city staff, natural algae forming on the effluent launders has been detaching from concrete walls and entering the treatment flow, creating operational challenges for the facility's tertiary disc filters. The new covers are designed to prevent future algae growth. The city also advanced a $252,381 contract supplemental with Feyen-Zylstra, LLC for modifications to the Woods Lake Lift Station. The station is receiving a new control panel and variable frequency drives (VFDs). To accommodate the equipment within the existing building and meet National Electric Code spacing requirements, the city is converting the equipment to dry pit submersible pumps and relocating them downstairs. Furthermore, the commission approved the $593,958 purchase of a combination sewer cleaner from MacQueen Equipment LLC to maintain the city's 700-mile sanitary sewer network and 66 lift stations. On the drinking water side, the commission approved the $57,000 purchase of a 9.5-acre parcel adjacent to Treatment Plant No. 39. The plant, which serves as a baseload station for the East Side High District, is unique to the Kalamazoo Regional Water System as its only facility featuring a Ranney well. The strategic land acquisition is intended to provide additional isolation distance around the existing wellhead to ensure source water protection ahead of future plant upgrades. The city also approved a $128,431 professional services agreement with Northern Pump & Well Company for well rehabilitations to restore pumping capacity at Stations No. 1 and No. 11.