City Tackles Aging Sewer System With $42M Bond Proposal and Infrastructure Repairs

Traverse City commissioners will vote tonight (Monday) to issue up to $42 million in bonds to upgrade the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Other sewer and water projects are underway, with the city completing field work through the end of June to evaluate the sewer system – particularly on the west side of TC – and continuing a water line replacement project throughout city neighborhoods.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Project
After adopting a notice of intent to bond resolution in February – and allowing a 45-day period to pass in which voters can file referendum petitions – commissioners now have the green light to proceed with bonding major sewer repairs. Commissioners will vote tonight to authorize issuing up to $42 million in bonds for improvements to the wastewater treatment plant on Hannah Street near Boardman Lake. A low-interest state loan will also help fund the project, with the debt to be repaid over two decades through sewer user fees.

The project is intended to address aging infrastructure, increase reliability, improve hydraulics, and fix a deficient UV disinfection system at the city plant. Areas in need of repair and the dates equipment was first built are as follows:

> Preliminary/Headworks Screening (1994): Lacks redundancy and sufficient hydraulic capacity.
> Grit Separation (1950s, 1970s): Performs inadequately, failing to balance flow during peak influent rates.
> Primary Clarifiers (1930s, 1950s): Significant corrosion and frequent costly repairs required.
> Primary Effluent Screw Pumps (1970s): Operating beyond their expected useful life.
> UV Disinfection System (1998): Reaching end of life and under an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). The new system must be elevated to prevent damage during high water events. The city is under a deadline to replace the system by July 2026.

City Director of Municipal Utilities Art Krueger tells The Ticker plant repairs will start this fall. It’s a three-year project, so work is expected to “finish fall 2028,” he says. The city recently noted – in response to complaints about odors emanating from the area – that work will be “focused on the areas most prone to unpleasant orders and will play a role in mitigating them.” The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) determined the repairs will improve the water quality of effluent going into the Boardman River, writing in an analysis: “The water quality benefits anticipated from the project are expected to outweigh any short-term adverse impacts. Improving the efficiency and reliability of the system will provide long-term beneficial impacts.”

If commissioners approve tonight’s motion, it will give the city the ability to bond up to $42 million – but doesn’t obligate it to do so if expenses come in under budget. 

More sewer and water projects...
> The city started field work last week as part of a sanitary sewer evaluation study (SSES). The SSES is intended to identify inflow and infiltration issues in the city’s sewer system, particularly on the west side. Inflow and infiltration are the two main culprits plaguing the city’s sewer system, according to Krueger. Inflow occurs when water gets into the system through manhole covers or illicit connections from roof drains or basement sump pumps. Infiltration occurs through cracks or loose joints in pipes when surface water seeps into the ground and into pipes. Infiltration is a particular risk when the pipe is submerged by groundwater. Both issues can contribute to sanitary sewer overflows, “especially during large rain events or high groundwater conditions,” according to the city.

Contractor OHM Advisors is conducting smoke testing – plus dye testing and inspections – as part of the field work. “During smoke testing, a non-toxic, non-staining, and fire-safe smoke is blown through the sewer system to detect faults,” according to the city. Residents may see white or gray smoke coming from vent pipes or the ground, which is normal, but smoke inside a home could mean a dry or defective drain trap.

Crews will be working this week in portions of downtown Traverse City, the Commons, the Munson campus, and the Boardman, Slabtown, Kids Creek, and Morgan Farms neighborhoods. Field work is expected to be completed by the end of June. Future testing locations will be posted on the city’s website.

> The city is undertaking another season of work as part of a state-required water line replacement project, which centers on fixing connections to lead goosenecks. Michigan determined in 2017 that galvanized water service lines are considered ‘lead’ lines and must be replaced – at the utility’s expense – from the curb stop near the right of way into the building or home if at any time they’ve ever been connected to a lead gooseneck. The city has received over $7 million in state loan and grant funding to replace hundreds of lines over the last few years. More than 460 lines will have been replaced at the end of this season, with over 300 still to go. Crews this week will be working in the 700 block of Sixth Street and 700 and 800 blocks of Seventh Street, requiring sidewalk and intermittent street closures. A map of all planned 2025 repairs is available on the city’s website.

Photo Credit: Jacobs (operating firm for Traverse City's wastewater treatment plant)