The City of Kalamazoo potable water distribution system is divided into eleven pressure districts including the East Side High pressure district (ESH) serving the Comstock and Richland Township area. The ESH only had a single water source, and single treatment facility, and a single elevated storage tank. Over the last several years, the ESH has experienced multiple water main breaks that have decreased pressure in the system leading to boil water advisories. The City began seeking ways to build system redundancy and increase the overall reliability of the system.
Working together with Jones & Henry Engineers (J&H), the City began modeling ways to provide additional water sources and improve system reliability in the ESH. A transmission main connecting the ESH with the High pressure district (HIGH) was the best option. Once connected, the new water main would loop the ESH with the rest of the City’s system. The combined ESH and HIGH would have a total of three elevated storage tanks and six treatment facilities.
The North 33rd Street Transmission Main Project installed three miles of 24-inch ductile iron pipe on North 33rd Street from East Michigan Avenue to East G Avenue in Kalamazoo County. The route took the water main through existing wetlands in two locations. With the help of Soils and Materials Engineering (SME) an embankment was designed suitable to support a 24-inch pipe flowing full of water. The embankment also allowed for conveyance of groundwater through the soils to limit the disturbance of the wetland It also included a new valve vault at the City’s Treatment Plant No. 39. The valve vault was key to insuring proper corrosion control between the two pressure districts. The ESH district was using a newer corrosion control chemical and the HIGH district had not yet been converted. Chemically it is acceptable to mix the ESH water into the HIGH, but not vice versa. The valve chamber used a set of butterfly valves and a check valve to ensure flow in a single direction allowing isolation of the pressure districts while controlling for pressure losses is the system.
The North 33rd Street Transmission Main project finished on time and under budget in a testament to effective project management and efficient execution. By adhering to the project timeline and making cost-effective decisions throughout the construction process, the project not only met the initial expectations but exceeded them. This project ensures the community’s improved access to clean water and demonstrates responsible stewardship of public resources. Such success stories in infrastructure development serve as a model for future projects, highlighting the benefits of rigorous planning, effective collaboration, and the City of Kalamazoo’s unwavering commitment to delivering essential services to the community.
The project was awarded for a bid price of $5,876,792.00 and substantially completed under budget on October 27, 2023 for a cost of $5,710,940.00.
