Kalamazoo holds public hearing on proposed $196.8 million Clean Water SRF project plan including biosolids thermal system and two sewer repairs

Kalamazoo City staff held a public hearing to present the city’s fiscal year 2026 Clean Water State Revolving Fund project plan and invited public comment on a package of projects that would be submitted for competitive SRF financing. The plan’s main elements are a thermal biosolids treatment system with energy recovery, the replacement of a failing 6-inch sanitary sewer on Farmers Alley with an 8-inch line, and rehabilitation of a deteriorated sewer at Kleinstuck Preserve.

The projects together represent the city’s recommended investments to reduce long-term disposal costs, reduce sewer overflows and improve system reliability. “This unit’s ability to destroy PFAS. So that’s something that’s, you know, really, novel in terms of, processes for wastewater across the state of Michigan,” city presenter James Baker said during the hearing, describing the proposed biosolids thermal oxidation and energy-recovery system.

Why this matters: city staff said the package would address recurring sanitary-sewer overflows downtown and in the Kleinstuck Preserve, reduce reliance on external biosolids disposal contracts and lower long-term disposal costs that the city said have increased markedly since 2019. Staff estimated construction costs at about $194,000,000 for the dryer and energy recovery system (ERS), $337,000 to replace the Farmers Alley sewer, and $2,100,000 to rehabilitate the Kleinstuck Preserve sewer, for an approximate total of $196,800,000.…