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Owosso approves $30 million wastewater plan amendment to add retention basin and force main
Summary
The Owosso City Council adopted a Clean Water SRF Project Plan amendment to add an equalization/retention basin and a force main to reduce sanitary sewer overflows, designating the public services director as project representative; the plan carries an estimated $30 million cost and drew a technical warning from a former utilities director.
The Owosso City Council on April 20 unanimously adopted a Project Planning Document Amendment to the city's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) project plan that adds an equalization (retention) basin at the Wastewater Treatment Plant and a new force main intended to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows during wet-weather events. Fishbeck Senior Engineer Brian Van Zee presented the amendment and said the total estimated project cost is $30 million.
The amendment updates a plan first submitted in 2022 and identifies infrastructure and collection-system improvements the city intends to pursue as part of its application to the State of Michigan for SRF loan assistance. "This is an update to the original plan that was submitted in 2022," Van Zee said, and staff said efforts will continue to reduce stormwater inflow into the sewer system.
During the accompanying public hearing, former Utilities Director Gary Burk urged the council to prioritize rerouting sump pump discharges and residential footing drains to approved storm sewers rather than building a pump station and force main. Burk warned that "smoke testing will not detect sump pump discharges and is less than ideal in detecting footing drains depending on ground conditions," and argued the city should eliminate infiltration where possible.
Van Zee said engineering staff are still analyzing smoke-testing data and that "no smoking guns have been identified to date," though the review has found several stormwater basins connected directly to the sanitary sewer. After hearing public comment, Councilmember Rachel M. Osmer moved to adopt Resolution No. 52-2026, which the council approved unanimously. The resolution also designates Ryan E. Suchanek, the director of public services and utilities, as the city's authorized project representative for filings and activities related to the SRF application.
The resolution adoption does not itself authorize construction; it formalizes the planning-document amendment as the first step in applying for state loan funds. Councilmembers and staff noted the project remains subject to further design work, environmental reviews, and state loan approvals before any construction or contract awards.
The council record shows the motion to permit additional comment by Gary Burk after the public hearing passed on a 6–1 vote (Mayor Teich opposed), but the final project amendment resolution passed unanimously.
The city will continue analyzing infiltration sources and will advance the SRF planning amendment to the state as the next procedural step.
