Council advances $29 million wastewater plan to reduce biosolids and ease hauling costs
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Summary
City staff told Saginaw City Council it seeks a $29 million amendment to its Clean Water State Revolving Fund plan to switch to a thermochemical hydrolysis process that could cut biosolids volume by up to half and eliminate lime treatment; council adopted the amendment and asked staff to pursue funding details and alternatives for solids disposal.
Saginaw City Council voted to adopt a final project-plan amendment that updates the city's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) application and increases the proposed wastewater biosolids project to roughly $29 million.
At a public hearing, a city presentation explained that the current lime-based solids process is aging, lacks redundancy and produces volumes that are increasingly costly to haul and manage. The staff-recommended change would replace the existing approach with a thermochemical (thermal hydrolysis) process, which the presenter said can produce Class A biosolids, eliminate lime use and reduce solids volume by up to 50%.
The presenter, identified in the meeting as an agency official for the SRF filing, said the change would provide operational flexibility and long-term cost efficiency and that the city has evaluated environmental and historic impacts with no adverse effects identified. The project scope includes equipment replacement, solids-handling improvements and construction measures to mitigate traffic, dust and erosion during work.
Council members asked for clarification on scale and cost, and staff acknowledged uncertainty about SRF forgiveness and grant components. A city staff member explained the immediate driver is rising sludge-hauling costs and limited vendor options in the state; the amendment is intended to reduce solids and allow the city to explore landfill, incineration or secondary digestion options in the future.
Council adopted the resolution to amend the SRF project plan and designate an authorized project representative. Staff said they will file the application, seek available point-scoring to improve forgiveness prospects and return with specific contract and funding recommendations if the award terms are favorable.
Next steps: the city will submit the amended SRF application, continue technical design work for the selected process, and report back to council about award outcomes, recommended procurement, and any required rate or budget adjustments.
