• Home
  • News
    • UP 200
    • Local
    • Lansing Bureau
    • Washington D.C. Bureau
    • National
    • Insights
    • Watch 19 News Live
    • CBS News Live
    • Report News
  • Weather
    • Forecast + Conditions
    • Current Alerts
    • Interactive Radar
    • Cameras
    • Share Photos/Videos
    • Closings and Delays
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Life in the 906
    • The Yooper Goddess
WZMQ 19 News | CBS | MeTV Marquette
Mostly Cloudy

Marquette
Mostly Cloudy 82°

Clear

Escanaba
Clear 73°

Clear

Houghton
Clear 77°

Clear

Iron Mountain
Clear 84°

Watch
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • UP 200
    • Local
    • Lansing Bureau
    • Washington D.C. Bureau
    • National
    • Insights
    • Watch 19 News Live
    • CBS News Live
    • Report News
  • Weather
    • Forecast + Conditions
    • Current Alerts
    • Interactive Radar
    • Cameras
    • Share Photos/Videos
    • Closings and Delays
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Life in the 906
    • The Yooper Goddess
WZMQ 19 News | CBS | MeTV Marquette
No Result
View All Result
WZMQ 19 News | CBS | MeTV Marquette
No Result
View All Result

1 Weather Alert

View Details »

$16 million sewer infrastructure project to create long-term solutions for aging pipelines

by Mitchell Rife
September 18, 2023
A A

ISHPEMING, Mich. (WZMQ) – The City of Ishpeming is preparing to start a $16 million sewer infrastructure project to replace 25,000 feet of sewer main, after receiving half of the funds from a state grant. The funds deligated towards the project come from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to replace the sewer infrastructure, aimed at forming a long-term solution to the aging pipelines. 

City Manager Craig Cugini said they do have a contractor in place and plan to start construction in the spring of 2024, but are still awaiting approval from the state to begin the project. “There’ll be some systems where we monitor where sewer is a gravity-fed system it has to pitch downhill at some point the downhill isn’t significant enough to make it to the treatment plants so you have to lift it to create a new downhill,” commented Cugini.

The city applied for money to install new PVC pipes through water and sewage pipelines but recieved only enough to cover the replacement of the sewage lines.

“While we were doing this over a year the market changed so what we thought we would get with 16 million in 2022 is not what can get with 16 million in 2024 there’s water and sewer down the same street well we don’t want to tear up the roadways this year and have to get water money later and have to tear up the whole same new road and put water lines in so we’re working on a dig once philosophy,” explained Cugini.

The main line still consists of clay and asphalt pipes, the Ishpeming Water Treatment Facility did confirm that these pipes are over 70 years old, and with the frequent weather changes faced in the UP, the integrity of water/sewage main pipes can only last so long. “It’s at a state where it needs to be replaced this is our best way to make the maximum effort to repair very old infrastructure, failing infrastructure with the least amount of impact to our residents,” continued Cugini.

The water treatment facility on average can handle around 2.3 million gallons of sewage water a day however, with large snow storms like on May 1st (pictured below) of this year, the facility there were around 10.5 million gallons stressing the pipelines per day.

“We’ve been wearing out the treatment plant we’ve been wearing out our pipes cause all that extra water is carrying through the system and so what we’re trying to do is seal this pipe and make it so we don’t have that groundwater infiltration it saves at the other end of the line,” explained Cugini.

Once a Notice to Proceed is obtained from the state, contractors can start on the replacement. The Grant timeline gives the city until December of 2026 to finalize this project, but the city plans to have this project completed by the fall of 2024.

Click here, if you’d like to know more about the sewer main replacement and its impact on residents of Ishpeming.

Get WZMQ 19 anytime, anywhere

Download the app

AppleAndroid

Watch on TV

RokuFire TVZeam

Connect on social media

FacebookTwitterInstagram

More

The Marquette County Board of Commissioners held their regularly scheduled meeting this evening in Marquette.
News

Marquette County Board seeks applicants as Commissioner John DePetro resigns

September 17, 2025
News

14 DAYS: Michigan Budget Stalemate Raises Shutdown Fears as Deadline Nears

September 16, 2025
News

End the Silence Walk Life Keeper Quilts on display at Bay College

September 16, 2025
News

U.P. Ice Fishing & Hunting Expo to benefit local food pantry and animal shelter

September 16, 2025
News

Kentucky man dies in Keweenaw County motorcycle crash

September 16, 2025
Business leaders from across Marquette County came together this evening to network, make introductions, and break bread around a common table with a common theme.
News

906 Adventure Team director speaks to local econ club

September 15, 2025 - Updated on September 16, 2025
Next Post

Hayes Corn Maze opens for 22nd season of fall fun

Insights: Peter White Public Library hosts Halloween Costume Swap this weekend

  • Home
  • News
  • Weather
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Events
  • Programming
  • Station
WZMQ CBS | 19 News

© 2025 WZMQ, LLC | FCC Public File | EEO Report

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • UP 200
    • Local
    • Lansing Bureau
    • Washington D.C. Bureau
    • National
    • Insights
    • Watch 19 News Live
    • CBS News Live
    • Report News
  • Weather
    • Forecast + Conditions
    • Current Alerts
    • Interactive Radar
    • Cameras
    • Share Photos/Videos
    • Closings and Delays
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Life in the 906
    • The Yooper Goddess
  • Events
  • Programming
    • Programming Guide
    • CBS
    • MeTV
    • Start TV
    • Heroes & Icons
    • Court TV
    • ION
  • Station
    • About Us
    • Community Involvement
    • Mobile App
    • Meet the Team
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Advertising
    • Request Copy of Story
    • FCC Public File
    • EEO Report
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • UP 200
    • Local
    • Lansing Bureau
    • Washington D.C. Bureau
    • National
    • Insights
    • Watch 19 News Live
    • CBS News Live
    • Report News
  • Weather
    • Forecast + Conditions
    • Current Alerts
    • Interactive Radar
    • Cameras
    • Share Photos/Videos
    • Closings and Delays
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Life in the 906
    • The Yooper Goddess
  • Events
  • Programming
    • Programming Guide
    • CBS
    • MeTV
    • Start TV
    • Heroes & Icons
    • Court TV
    • ION
  • Station
    • About Us
    • Community Involvement
    • Mobile App
    • Meet the Team
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Advertising
    • Request Copy of Story
    • FCC Public File
    • EEO Report
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our privacy policy.