CLICK TO HEAR JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH CITY MANAGER CRAIG CUGINI
The City of Ishpeming announced a $20 million drinking water infrastructure project is moving forward. The State of Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) Intended Use Plan for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund fiscal year 2024 has put Ishpeming into the fundable range for funding half of the project as a grant and half as a low-interest (2%) loan.
“Our residents and business owners voiced their support to the state during the public comment period having a direct impact on the city scoring in the fundable range for this significant and very competitive funding which will improve our infrastructure,” said Ishpeming City Manager Craig Cugini. “The notice that went out statewide even called-out the volume of comments from our community in the State’s decision to score Ishpeming into fundable range for the project. We want to thank those who sent comments in and celebrate what can happen when we unite our voices.”
The project includes $9,896,800 in grant funding through the American Rescue Plan and a $9,893,400 loan from EGLE through federal Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) funding. Additional funding includes: $170,000 for Lead Service Line Costs, $86,700 for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) DWSRF LSLR Loan, and $83,300 for BIL DWSRF LSLR Principal Forgiveness (PF).
The BIL LSLR funds must be used for lead service line replacement work and associated activities directly connected to the identification, planning, design and replacement of lead service lines.
The proposed project should make meaningful progress on outstanding infrastructure needs, including the replacement of selected portions of the water distribution system which are deteriorated and undersized. These proposed improvements will impact the water quality by replacing water mains that have historically leaked causing interruptions to the water distribution system and potential water quality issues with water shutdowns and depressurizing the main line. Replacing these mains will remove approximately 39,000 feet of undersized galvanized water main, making the overall system more reliable.
As is standard in the City of Ishpeming, and to mitigate community impact, the City will require contractors to adhere to its “dig once” policy, allowing any other necessary underground work to be performed parallel to prevent cutting through pavement and dirt multiple times. “Dig once” benefits include long-term cost savings, efficient use of resources and reduced burden on residents near a work site.
The next 4-6 months will determine the exact project scope, intended for drinking water infrastructure improvements. Professional engineers remain engaged to bring the conceptual scope in the grant application to a final design for submission to the State and final approval to proceed. Surveying of existing water lines to validate their condition, location and environmental assessment which must be incorporated into the final plans is part of the process. This also helps to inform which water lines within the city will be targeted through this funding.
In September, Ishpeming announced $16 million in funding tied to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).
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