In 1960, a few years before its wastewater treatment plant on West Michigan Avenue was built, Michigan’s Saginaw Charter Township had roughly 15,000 residents. It was an impressive number at the time, with the municipality’s population having tripled in the previous decade, according to U.S. Census data. Today, as the Saginaw Township Wastewater Treatment Plant is amid an expansion, the population of the township has grown to more than 40,000 residents.
Growth within its borders, along with industrial expansion nearby, led to Saginaw Township hiring Spicer Group for its third major project at the plant since the 1990s. The firm’s history goes back to the beginning, with Spicer designing the original plant in 1964. Previous expansions were completed with engineering work from Spicer in 1998 and 2009. Project Manager Jean Inman, PE, is working on the expansion. She also worked on the two previous expansions.
Working Together on Wastewater
Spicer Group and Saginaw Charter Township Partner Again to Expand Infrastructure
In 2022, Spicer Group was hired to perform a study for Saginaw Township, regarding what is needed and what is possible for this upgrade. Then the Spicer team completed the design of the current expansion, along with providing bidding assistance and construction administration. Inman has been heavily involved, using her decades-long relationship with Saginaw Township to make sure the job is aligned perfectly with their wants and needs.
“I met with them weekly — and sometimes daily — to review every aspect of the expansion,” Inman said. “I would confirm what would work for them. They had heavy input in the whole process.”
This specific plant doesn’t treat wastewater for the entirety of the township. The township’s collection system is split into four districts, with the West Michigan Avenue plant providing treatment for two of those districts. Additionally, the plant serves Thomas Township, a nearby municipality where Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) is located. HSC, a large-scale manufacturer, broke ground on an expansion to their headquarters in 2022, leading to increased wastewater treatment needs. As a result, the company is providing part of the funding for the project underway at the Saginaw Township plant.
The bulk of the funding for the $27 million expansion was secured through grant funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), which means residents will not see any financial impact from the project. Spicer Group provided the project scope and cost estimates for Saginaw Township to submit when applying for the grant funding.
“This is not being financed by any cost increases,” said Saginaw Township Manager Brian Rombalski. “Nothing is being passed along to our township residents from any of these expenses.”
According to Rombalski, the state’s investment in the expansion of the township’s infrastructure signals recognition of the municipality’s upward trajectory.
“This has been a multi-year endeavor that we’ve been very eager and very hopeful to see done,” he said. “It will provide some good upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant to accommodate economic development and growth throughout our region.”
