Council approves $65,718 contract to replace hot water heaters at Silver Village amid calls for more efficient alternatives

The Livonia City Council approved a contract to complete replacement of 54 thirty-gallon hot water heaters at the Silver Village housing community, with the contractor and amount presented by the housing commission and staff.

A housing commission representative said the city previously approved a contract to Good Neighbor Heating and Cooling and the contractors agreed to extend the contract under the same terms. The staff-reported balance of the contract for completion was $65,718.

Public commenter Steve King urged the council to consider modern alternatives such as tankless or heat-pump water heaters, arguing the city was falling behind other jurisdictions on energy-saving technologies and that federal funding is available for such transitions. “You could do tankless hot water heaters, you could do heat pump water... 70 savings on energy,” King said.

Staff and council members responded that Silver Village’s units are largely single-occupancy apartments, that the building’s gas piping and electrical services are not sized for tankless or heat-pump installations without substantial upgrades, and that added electrical or gas upgrades would drive costs above the conventional replacement option. Several council members said the decision balanced fiscal constraints and residents’ needs; council approved the contract on consent.

Next steps: Work will proceed under the awarded contract; staff said the replacement will be completed this fiscal year using budgeted funds.