$60M Kalamazoo project will remove ‘forever chemicals’ from drinking water supply
KALAMAZOO, MI — The city of Kalamazoo will begin work on a three-year, $60 million water infrastructure project Monday, Sept. 8.
The city plans to route water pumped from below-ground aquifers at Pump Station 14 south to a rebuilt Station 5 for treatment via a new water main line.
MORE: There’s PFAS in Kalamazoo’s drinking water. The city needs $51M to address it.
The project begins next week and will include some lane and street closures.
The project will ensure the city complies with stricter federal PFAS regulations taking effect in 2029, per a Kalamazoo press release.
PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that are known to cause cancer, liver damage, birth defects and autoimmune diseases.
The synthetic chemical is widely used to make products resistant to stains, grease and water. PFOs, PFNAs and PFNBs are just a few of the thousands of PFAS “forever chemicals” that build up in the air, water, soil, fish and wildlife instead of breaking down over time.
Water tested at Pump Station 14, near Spring Valley Lake and Ascension Borgess Hospital, currently exceeds the EPA’s new PFAS limits with an average of 4.2 parts per trillion after it’s treated.
Pump Station 5, built in 1914, tested near but did not exceed allowable PFAS contamination levels in 2020, according to city documents.
Water pumped out of the ground at Pump Station 14 — and the city’s other 15 pump stations — is treated and sent to homes. A mixture of water from pump stations across the city flows out of Kalamazoo taps.
While there is no safe level of PFAS contamination, the blend of drinking water in Kalamazoo complies with health regulations, Public Services Director James Baker said previously.
“Our stations are not currently designed to treat PFAS,” Baker said previously. “A very specific type or advanced treatment is needed for PFAS removal.”
A new $10 million water main line will carry water from Station 14 to Station 5, located at Michigan Avenue and Schippers Lane.
The city will spend $50 million rebuilding Station 5 with new filtering technology capable of removing iron and PFAS during the treatment process.
Station 5 is less than 1,000 feet from a known PFAS contamination site along the Kalamazoo River. The source of contamination is unknown, Baker said.
Work will begin with the installation of underground water main line on Michigan Avenue, Wallace Avenue and Elder Street, per a city press release.
Traffic on East Michigan Avenue will shift when work begins Monday, Sept. 8, per the release.
Work on Wallace Avenue is expected to begin Sept. 17. The road will close to through traffic until mid-November.
Construction of the new treatment plant will begin this year and wrap up in November 2028, per the city.
Funding for this project is provided through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, a state program that offers low-interest loans with partial principal forgiveness.
Kalamazoo secured $90 million from the revolving fund in 2025. This funding makes the investment possible with less impact to local ratepayers.
“By investing in cleaner water and stronger infrastructure today,” Baker said, “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.”
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