Multi-Year, $60 Million Eastside Water Project to Start September 8
Published on September 04, 2025
The City of Kalamazoo will soon begin a major infrastructure project to improve the quality, safety, and reliability of its drinking water. The Eastside Water Treatment & Water Main Project represents a $60 million investment in the City’s water system and is scheduled to begin September 8, 2025. Work will continue through November 2028.
The project includes construction of a new $50 million, 15,000-square-foot water treatment facility on the east side, designed to remove iron, manganese, and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from the groundwater. In addition, $10 million will be invested in new water mains, replacing aging infrastructure and connecting key water stations to the new facility to consolidate treatment.
Water Treatment Stations 5, located at Michigan Ave and Schippers Ln, and 14, located at Spring Valley Park, currently provide drinking water to thousands of residents in Kalamazoo and surrounding townships. As part of this project, water from Station 14 will be sent to the new facility at Station 5 for treatment, reducing system complexity, improving efficiency, and ensuring more consistent water quality. Facility upgrades, including new well enclosures, updated electrical systems, and building renovations, will also be completed at both sites. The two stations will be connected with a new fiber optic link to enhance operational monitoring and coordination.
“This project is about protecting the health and well-being of everyone who lives, works, and visits Kalamazoo," said City Engineer and Public Services Director James Baker. “By investing in cleaner water and stronger infrastructure today, we’re meeting new standards and ensuring that families, businesses, and future generations can count on a safe, reliable water system for decades to come.”
Work on the project will take place in phases. The first phase will begin with the installation of new water mains in fall 2025. Construction will start with work on Michigan Avenue, Wallace Ave, and Elder St, which is expected to be completed this year. In 2026, the water main work will continue on Trimble Ave, Humphrey St, Bixby Rd, Junction Ave, and Hensen Ave, ending at Spring Valley Park.
The project will require a lane shift on East Michigan Ave when work starts Monday, September 8. Water main work on Wallace Ave is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, September 17, which will require closure of the street to through traffic until mid-November.
Later in September (estimated to begin September 29), East Michigan will close to through traffic between Nazareth and East Main St, with the closure expected to last through mid-October. Elder St will fully close to traffic starting in October and is expected to reopen by mid-November.
The exact timing of these closures may change depending on project progress. The City will provide regular updates and detour information as the work advances. Community members can find project information, including traffic and detour information, at www.kalamazoocity.org/Station5-14.
Construction of the new treatment plant will occur between 2025 and 2028, with the full project expected to be completed by November 2028. Work is expected to begin no later than Spring 2026.
Funding for this project is being provided through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), a state program that offers low-interest loans with partial principal forgiveness. In 2025, the City of Kalamazoo secured $90 million in DWSRF funding, including $17 million in loan forgiveness. This funding makes the investment possible with less impact on local ratepayers.
“Like all of our water and wastewater infrastructure projects, it is made possible not only through state and federal funding, but also through the commitment of our residents who continue to support investments in their water system,” said Baker. “We want to thank our community for making it possible to build for the future. The water and sewer rates we pay make infrastructure work like this possible.”
The Eastside Water Treatment & Water Main Project will provide lasting benefits for the community. It will deliver cleaner, safer drinking water by treating for PFAS, iron, and manganese while ensuring compliance with new federal PFAS regulations scheduled to take effect in 2029. The project will improve the reliability of Kalamazoo’s water system, replace aging infrastructure, and safeguard the community’s drinking water supply for future generations.