LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – the City of Ironwood has received state funding to finish its $22 million water pump station project from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. They are set to receive $11.4 million from the Economically Disadvantaged and Small Disadvantaged Communities (ED-SDC) grant program to finish water infrastructure upgrades.
Those plans aim to address elevated iron and manganese levels in the city’s water. Both are harmless contaminates with short-term exposure, but can discolor the water and stain faucets and fixtures.
The filtration system is the second part of a two-phase project to build a new pump station that will replace Ironwood’s almost 100-year-old facilities.
Bob Tervonen, the Utility Manager with the City of Ironwood explained that in his time working at the facility, they’ve dealt with failing infrastructure issues that have caused water main breaks, sometimes up to ten in a month.
The project was planned with just one phase, based on a similar project completed in Minnesota years earlier. The estimates put their budget around $10 million in 2019, which they received U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development funding for. By the time the city started accepting bids for the project in 2022, final estimates came in almost 4 and a half million dollars more than expected.
The project was then split into two phases, and the USDA funds were used to start construction in summer 2023.
The $11.4 Million grant from EGLE will cover the total costs of phase two, while the USDA grants cover $5 million, with the other $5 million on loan.
Paul Anderson, Ironwood’s City Manager said that with less cost to the city, the grant will also keep them from substantial rate hikes.
The entire project was originally estimated to cost between $8 and $10 million, but because of inflation will now come in over $22 million.
Phase one is scheduled to wrap up in late 2024 or early 2025. Planning for phase two will then begin next spring, and will have until the end of 2026 to complete the project.
