Information About the Water Plant WATER BILL $68M: Cost of New Plant, Lines Revised Down From $72 Million
October 10, 2014
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Bay County commissioners have a new water plant number to work with on Tuesday--$68 million.
Commissioners will be asked to borrow $11 million to add to the $57 million already approved for the 17.4 million/gallon/day membrane plant underway at Euclid Avenue and Lauria Road.
The new figure is $4 million less than previous estimates of $72 million projected by project manager Thomas Paige, director of the Bay County Department of Water and Sewer, a branch of the Bay County Road Commission.
The new plant is slated to go on line next July and pump fresher Lake Huron Water to 38,000 customers in Bay City and environs.
The water will come through the Saginaw-Midland Municipal Water System that hsd drawn through an intake in the lake at Whitestone Point off AuGres since 1946. The source eight miles from AuGres into the lake is located 65 miles north of Saginaw. There are two intakes, 66 and 72 inches, respectively. Junction station for the system is located next to the Monitor Township hall on Three Mile Road.
Over the course of the last 60 years many upgrades have been made to the system thst now has a maximum capacity of 115 MGD (million gallons a day). The S-M system originally cost $10.3 million and the estimated cost to duplicate it today is $430 million, according to S-M sources.
The lower bond issue total estimate is a modicum of good news for customers who nevertheless will be paying higher rates to receive water service.
The bottom line is that the lake water will require less treatment and chemical additives to be potable. Occasional taste and odor problems occurring because of the need for extensive treatment are expected to be eliminated.
When the new water comes on line it will be the culmination of a four decade campaign begun a decade ago by the late Mike Studders who opened negotiations with S-M officials. The agreement was finally achieved by Mr. Paige and Ken Miller of the DWS and Ernie Krygier, chairman, and fellow county commissioners, Terry Watson, chairman of the Bay Area Water Treatment Plant Advisory Committee, and Richard Gromaski, chairman of the Bay County Road Commission, in cooperation with city and township officials.
It was a long haul, but we finally got it together," said County Executive Thomas L. Hickner.
The revised bond issue of $68 million total and the final piece of $11 million is expected to breeze to approval at the commission meeting on Tuesday.
When ground was broken Oct. 3, 2013 for the 40,893 square foot plant, the estimated cost was $59.6 million. About 500 construction workers have been and continue to be employed on the project.
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