Richmond City Council tackles water-related projects – The Voice

Jim Goetzinger, director of the Richmond Department of Public Works, speaks at a city council meeting on July 15. (Courtesy of RichmondTV/YouTube)

Richmond City Council took action on a number of water and wastewater improvements on July 15, from upcoming water main upgrades to well cleaning and a sludge hauling contract.

The city held a public hearing on a new water main on the city’s Main Street, which runs from Division Road south to the CN Railroad tracks, during its regular meeting on July 15. City Manager Jon Moore said the specific purpose of the hearing was to get public comment on proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) community grants procured through U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain’s office.

“The city successfully submitted a Congressional Community Project for consideration in the EPA’s federal budget. A local grant has been approved as part of the city’s budget for fiscal year 2024-25,” Moore said.

The City of Richmond received $943,000 in federal funding for the water main replacement project. Council documents dated July 15 indicate that the official approval of the grant will come in August. The local cost share for the project is $477,000, bringing the total cost of the project to $1.42 million.

“It would have taken us many, many years to raise the money to replace the old water main there,” said Mayor Tim Rix.

Moore said the 8-inch cast iron water main will be replaced with a 12-inch HDPE pipe. City Council documents indicate the existing water main runs within the roadway, but the new line will generally be installed under the city sidewalk. Moore said Jim Goetzinger, director of the Department of Public Works, has been working with EPA staff to move the project forward.

There were no comments from the public on this issue, and city officials did not comment during the public hearing.

As part of the agenda items for consideration, the Council approved a motion to allow public comments during the public hearing on the project.

The council also approved a sludge removal contract. In the motion, the council agreed to override the requirements of the purchasing ordinance and enter into an agreement with BioTech Agronomics for sludge removal. The director of the city’s public works department was also authorized to enter into the agreement on behalf of the city.

Moore said that operating the city’s wastewater treatment plant creates a waste product called sludge.

“Some of it is put into GeoBags for dewatering and then trucked away. Some of the liquid sludge is kept in our storage tanks at the plant. Then we apply for a permit to spread it on the ground and hire a company to do the spreading,” Moore said.

He said the city received bids from two companies in 2021 to apply liquid sludge to agricultural land: BioTech Agronomics and Michigan AgriBusiness Solutions. City council records show BioTech was the lowest bidder and received a three-year contract from the city in 2021.

BioTech submitted a proposal for a new three-year contract that is identical to the 2021 contract, but with updated pricing. The actual cost of the contract will depend on the volume of liquid sludge transported.

“(BioTech Agronomics) was still below the second lowest bid of 2021, so we recommend overriding the purchasing order requirements and going with Biotech Agronomics,” Moore said.

According to Goetzinger, the contract is a multi-year contract.

“We have to renew it every few years or obtain new offers depending on the situation,” said Goetzinger.

City council reports indicate that it has become increasingly difficult to find contractors licensed to apply liquid slurry to land areas for a number of reasons. Goetzinger said he and Moore have scheduled a conference call with the EPA on July 22 regarding grants, as the long-term hope is that this need for land applications can be eliminated.

“But right now, this is certainly still our primary method of disposing of this sludge,” Goetzinger said.

The city also approved a permit for Northern Pump and Well to chemically clean Well No. 14. The well is located at the corner of 33 Mile and Lowe Plank Road. The application specified that the amount for the project cannot exceed $18,924 and the cost would be included in a Water Fund item.

“All of the city’s drinking water fountains are cleaned regularly,” Moore said. “The cleaning is done preventatively to maintain production levels and remove mineral deposits that could affect taste.”

Nicole Tuttle is a freelance reporter for The Voice.

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