Contract awarded for GLWA connection

MOUNT CLEMENS — After years of research, planning, work sessions, lobbying, fighting and setbacks, the future of water in the Macomb County seat began at the July 15 Mount Clemens City Commission meeting.

Commissioners voted unanimously to award Dan’s Excavating, Inc. of Shelby Township a $36,238,263 contract to construct the necessary improvements to Mount Clemens’ water infrastructure to facilitate connecting Mount Clemens to the Great Lakes Water Authority system. The high cost of the work will be partially shouldered by a low-interest loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The DWSRF loan, applied for in May 2023, will see the state provide the city with $42 million, which is paired with $20 million of principal forgiveness.

“It seems a shame that a project this big could be summed up in a paragraph, because this thing actually started long before May 15, 2023,” City Manager Gregg Shipman said. “A project of this magnitude and complexity is a marathon, but we’ve been sprinting.”

In 2022, questions about how Mount Clemens would handle its aging water infrastructure and water treatment facilities reached a boiling point. City commissioners and officials worked to determine whether building a new water plant or connecting to the GLWA’s system across southeastern Michigan, which includes all of the city’s neighboring and nearby communities, made the most sense. While plans to maintain an independent water system were about $27 million to $30 million more than the estimated cost to join the GLWA, city commissioners had reason to believe Mount Clemens could afford it.

Commissioners originally voted 4-3 to seek the $42 million DWSRF loan to pay for the work on Dec. 5, 2022 — only to rescind the plan at the next meeting. By Dec. 19, city officials were informed by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy it would not award them the grant for a new plant. At the time, they also just learned from the city’s bond agent that Mount Clemens lacked the bonding capacity to finance the project. In the face of this, city commissioners voted to embark on a then-estimated $17 million journey to end the city’s 130-plus years of municipal water independence and set in motion the work needed to achieve — and afford — joining the GLWA.

About a year and a half later, the dower tone of the meeting on Dec. 19, 2022, was replaced by nervous excitement from commissioners on July 15, 2024.

“The twists and turns of the project were enormous,” Mayor Laura Kropp said. “I know that there are a lot of things that can happen during the project, but I do feel that Fishbeck has been an excellent partner and has had the city’s affordability and best interest at mind. I know this project is definitely more than what everybody anticipated. I still am confident that building our own water plant would have been a tremendous cost above and beyond what this project is, and they have assured us of that.”

Kropp, Shipman and commissioners expressed thanks to the many people involved in getting the city to where this project can begin considering its enormity.

“I do feel as though this was probably the most important decision that this commission will make and (for) this city as a whole, this is the most important issue — drinking water — that probably has happened in the last 50 years,” Kropp said. “I would say no other issue has been as important as this. And so, I’m really proud of everybody who’s sitting on this commission because it’s not an easy decision and it certainly wasn’t the most popular decision to go with this option, but I feel as though it’s our best chance at water affordability for our residents.”

Shipman made special consideration to thank Maria Sedki, engineer with consulting firm Fishbeck, for her work. Sedki, whose team will manage the project, gave commissioners a timeline for the work.

“(Dan’s Excavating has) a year to design it starting in September,” Sedki said. “They’ll design it for a year and they’ll start construction, if all goes well, in September of ’25 and it will be done, if all goes well, by the end of 2028.”

Dan’s Excavating has recruited three engineering teams to design a booster station and storage tank, water mains and help with underground drilling.

While the construction itself will only use about $36 million of the $42 million from the DWSRF loan, the remaining loaned funds will be used to pay for engineering, easements and other costs associated with the project.

 

Water meters bought
The Mount Clemens City Commission also approved the purchase of Metron Farnier water meters on July 15.

The city purchased 1,500 meters from Metron Farnier about two years ago and is looking to apply the meters to all residential properties due to their accuracy. Metron Farnier meters have an accuracy rate of greater than 95% versus the city’s old meters that are accurate at a rate of 90% or less. Replacing the old meters is expected to help cut the city’s 37% water loss rate, bringing it closer in line with the average 10-15% water loss rate for similar water systems.

The purchase of over 4,600 meters cost the city about $2.3 million. Installation will be handled by Professional Meters, Inc. and it will cost the city $582,700.