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Macomb staff give timeline for water treatment plant bidding; final award awaits IEP review
Summary
City staff told the council the water treatment plant design is nearing completion, staff expects to advertise in February and open bids March 30, but final contract awards cannot occur until IEP completes loan review and approvals; construction could begin in 2026 with completion targeted in late summer 2028.
City public works staff gave the Macomb City Council Committee an updated schedule for the long-running water treatment plant project and said final contract awards depend on regulatory review and loan approval.
"EPA has the information they need to issue permits," Alice Ortman, the city’s public works director, told the committee, adding that staff are compiling loan documentation and are "a little bit at their mercy" while awaiting review. Ortman said the engineer is finalizing process drawings and that the city may be required to hold another public meeting as part of an environmental review.
Ortman outlined a procurement timeline the city is targeting: advertise for bids Feb. 11, 2026; open bids March 30, 2026; allow a 45-day review period for the IEP on complex drawings; issue a notice of intent to award after review but delay final award until IEP approves the loan. To limit markups, Ortman said the city intends to split the work into two contracts — one for well drilling and one for the remainder of the work — so a general contractor does not markup specialized drilling work.
On schedule, Ortman said the city hopes to begin construction in August 2026 and complete major work by late summer 2028, though equipment lead times and regulatory review could extend that timetable. The design phase has been underway for several years, Ortman said, emphasizing the multi-step permitting, loan and procurement process that remains ahead.
The committee received the update for information; no procurement awards or contract approvals were made at the meeting.
