Water Plant Expansion Dedication

 

November 17, 2011 – The expansion for the Water Treatment Plant was dedicated today.  The purpose of the expansion was to reinforce and provide redundancy to the existing forty (40) year old water treatment plant by bringing it up to state standards according to the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act, 1976 PA 399, as amended.  Impacts of the project include a substantially improved and enhanced water treatment plant operation utilizing new green technologies.

The Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project included:

(1) Filter Building Expansion

• adding a third 1 million gallon per day rapid sand filter
• rebuilding the two existing 1 million gallon per day rapid sand filters
• adding a fourth high service pump
• new standby power engine-generators
• UV post-filtration disinfection

(2) Laboratory Office Building Expansion
(3) Equipment Storage Building
(4) Clearwell Repainting

Green technology based improvements were also included.

The Water Plant Expansion Project was part of approximately $3 million spent for water system upgrades, which also included new water mains for Taylor, Berrien, and Mechanic Streets.

The project was funded by:

• $1,064,000 grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
• $900,000 water services agreement payment from the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, and
• $976,000 from a low interest loan from the State of Michigan Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF)

The project was engineered by NIES Engineering, Inc.  The general contractor was L.D. Docsa Associates, Inc.  The City was assisted with project fund administration by the Berrien County Board of Public Works.

On to the dedication....

Water Superintendent Ken Anderson (right) begins a tour of the expanded Water Treatment Plant facility with the new laboratory:


Food for the party:


The cake:


The ARRA sign:


The dedication plaque:


The Water Treatment Plant: