Lillian VestThe city of Muskegon, Michigan, announced last week that it is accepting sealed bids for the Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF) water system improvement project.
The city estimates that the project will cost about $14 million and will be funded by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), the DWRF and local Muskegon funding.
The project will replace water mains and associated hydrants, lead service lines (LSL) and provide Marshall Tank improvements. The city anticipates these replacements will significantly improve the water quality over the next 20 years and reliable drinking water infrastructure will have a long-term impact on the distribution system. The project’s scope consists of the construction of 3,200 feet of sanitary sewer lines, 1,865 feet of storm sewer lines, 3,000 feet of water main lines and a 3,200-foot road reconstruction.
Muskegon officials identified multiple locations within the city’s distribution system that require replacement due to age, deficient maximum flow, pipe diameter and inaccessibility. The project will improve four key areas: Catherine Avenue, Willwood Lane and Dowd Street, Yuba Street, and the Marshall tank coating.
The city’s Drinking Water Asset Management Plan identified two dead-end water mains that need looping to enhance circulation. Dead-end mains contribute to stagnant water, diminishing chlorine residuals and increasing the risk of lead and other contaminants reaching consumers. Lead exposure has become a widely recognized public health hazard, and under Michigan’s Lead and Copper Rule, LSL must be replaced. It’s estimated that there are more than 10,000 LSLs throughout the system, which will be replaced either with the water main projects or individually over the next several years.
The 2019 Marshall Tank Inspection Report found that the wet interior coating, installed in 1991, has exceeded its expected service life. Damage and spot failures have appeared along the water main line due to ice movement, also prompting the need for a new tank mixer and wet interior coat.
The city will be accepting bids until June 19. The project is estimated to begin in fall 2025 with the completion deadline being Oct. 2, 2026.
Photo by Tiimur Shakerzianov from Unsplash
