Kalamazoo utility leaders outline $51M station consolidation, PFAS work and broad main-replacement needs

Kalamazoo City utility staff presented the Utility Policy Committee with a 2025 capital improvement overview that centers on station consolidation, PFAS treatment, well replacements and a continuing program to replace aging cast-iron mains.

City staff member James Baker told the committee the system will focus on well replacement and rehabilitation in 2025 and is moving a Station 5/Station 14 consolidation project from design into construction. He said the consolidation will include modern iron and manganese treatment and PFAS removal and will be configured to run as a base-load station supplying adjacent districts once online.

Baker said the consolidation project is large — "you see about $51,000,000 in 2025" — and that design and construction spending will extend through 2029. He said Station 5 was built in 1914 and is constrained by a nearby PFAS contamination plume; Station 14 currently shows background PFAS levels below Michigan limits but is being modernized to protect long-term water quality.

Committee members and staff described other 2025 priorities: upgrades at Station 25 (including a new generator and mechanical replacements), water-main replacements coordinated with MDOT projects (including a 12-inch upgrade on West Main), lead-service-line replacement work in the Edison neighborhood, and transmission- and looped-main projects in Comstock and Richland townships.

Baker explained the program’s asset-management rationale: the system contains many small, older stations put in place years ago for redundancy; increasing regulatory quality standards and growth mean the city must modernize stations and add redundancy inside each station (generators, duplicate pumps, redundant controls) rather than relying solely on numerous small stations.

On main breaks and material performance, staff reported a recent surge of main breaks that has since begun to slow. Baker said soil movement and corrosion in post-World War II cast-iron pipe (roughly 1940s–early 1960s) have driven many of the failures and noted that the city switched to ductile-iron pipe after 1964, which has performed better. He said the system holds about 300 miles of cast-iron main and roughly 150 miles in the at-risk age/material group, and estimated roughly $300,000,000 of work would be needed to address those mains at current pricing.

Committee members asked about supply-chain and Buy-America concerns for materials; Baker said most DWSRF-funded materials meet Buy America/Buy American iron-and-steel requirements, though some controls and specialized equipment are globally sourced and the city is meeting with suppliers to track lead times and availability.

Committee members discussed redundancy strategy, noting the city is moving toward fewer, more capable stations with built-in redundancy (generators, multiple pumps) rather than many small stations. Baker said that model is aligned with industry practice for similarly sized systems.

PFAS budget impacts were discussed: committee members and staff said PFAS-related capital work (notably the Station 5/14 consolidation and a large Bridgeland Township project) accounts for a substantial near-term share of capital spending. Staff estimated a $50–$60 million project at Stations 5/14 and a roughly $40 million Bridgeland project, and said about $100 million in near-term capital is PFAS-related; staff also described DWSRF loans and grants that reduce rate pressure.

Committee members emphasized that the multi-year capital program (discussed as roughly $500 million over five years in committee remarks) requires continued planning and will influence rate and budget decisions.

Ending: Committee members requested additional map materials (11x17 or GIS snapshots showing station locations and 1-, 5-, 10-year capture zones) and asked staff for follow-up reports on main-break trends, utility operating-cost drivers (electricity, gas), and supply-chain meetings. Staff said they will produce GIS snapshots and follow up at future meetings.