Owosso weighs $69 million membrane plant as ageing water system needs prompt repairs

At a City of Owosso meeting, the superintendent and public works staff laid out a multi-year plan to address aging drinking-water and wastewater infrastructure and said an engineered membrane treatment plant would cost more up front but likely reduce long-term operating costs.

The superintendent told the council that a 2023 Fishbeck assessment estimated about $53,000,000 would be required to maintain the existing lime-softening plant over the next 20 years, while a new membrane plant was preliminarily estimated in the ‘‘sixties’’ of millions (the superintendent cited roughly $69,000,000). He said he is preparing a request for proposals to hire engineers to complete a full membrane-plant design and permitting package and that the city’s capital-improvement plan (CIP) currently includes $200,000 per year for two years ($400,000 total) for that process. "Requesting a proposal is free," the superintendent said, adding that the RFP will answer outstanding feasibility questions left by the preliminary Fishbeck study.

Why it matters: Council members and residents were shown how near-term repair choices affect long-term costs and system resilience. The superintendent and staff said continuing to patch the 90‑year‑old reservoir, boilers, pipes and control systems will…