• The Lakes Area Sewer Authority, through the Cass County Board of Public Works, obtained USDA funding and is constructing a $10.833 million wastewater collection and treatment system project to construct sanitary sewers.
  
  
• The collection system is a gravity system with lift stations while the treatment plant is a 250,000 gpd activated sludge process, expandable to 1.0 mgd. The base basin designs will permit the receipt of septage, requiring installation of only a septage receiving station and associated headworks/piping/etc which are also being engineered and constructed as part of the project due to remaining contingency funds.

This project received a 2011 Southwest Michigan Planning Commission Graham Woodhouse Intergovernmental Effort Award and the ASCE Quality of Life Award for the Southwest MI Group.

Services Provided:
Feasibility Study Design Engineering - Construction Engineering - Right-of-Way Acquisition - Surveying - Environmental

• The Southwest Michigan Regional Sanitary Sewer and Water Authority developed a plan using trenchless cured-in-place lining technology to repair the deteriorated corrugated metal pipe.
• The original interceptor was installed in 1973 in native soils that did not allow the use of conventional pipe materials or methods of construction.
• Each corrugated metal pipe sanitary manhole will be sealed with a high-strength composite lining system, and all manholes were raised above the known flood elevations.
  
  

Services Provided:
Engineering - Inspection - Planning - Right-of-Way - Construction Inspection - Testing - Permitting

• In just 3 months using critical path management a treatment plant site was acquired, the collection system and plant were designed and bids were received.
• Even though the service area was expanded over 5 miles during the project, the bids for the project were $13,000 under the estimates prepared in the study and all permits including the NPDES and Part 41 were obtained on time.
• The connections to the system were phased with the construction and startup of the plant and all customers were connected within 90 days of having service available.

• The project cost was $17,150,000.

Services Provided:
Design Engineering - Construction Engineering - Right-of-Way Acquisition - Surveying - Permitting

• The Hickory Creek (M-63) lift station pumps all of the wastewater from the Southwest Michigan Regional Sanitary Sewer & Water Authority to the Benton Harbor/St. Joseph Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment.
• The new lift station includes two 4,400 gpm, 185 Hp pumps with variable frequency drives for handling the daytime flow and one 1,200
  gpm, 12 Hp Jockey pump, for handling the nighttime flow.
• The 12 Hp Jockey pump is sufficient to operate the station for more than 6 hours each night, providing significant energy savings for the Authority.

• To enable the expansion of the Special-Lite manufacturing plant and increase local employment, the City of Decatur sought and was awarded $1,800,000 from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Michigan Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration to extend municipal utilities to the plant site and expand the Villages’ wastewater lagoons.
• 1,200 linear feet of sanitary sewer, 2,100 linear feet of new watermain, 2,100 linear feet of replacement watermain, and a new wastewater treatment lagoon.
• 4,200 linear feet of roadway was reconstructed with concrete curb and gutter and storm sewer.

This project received a 2004 Community Partnership Annual Achievement Award from the Michigan Municipal League.

Services Provided:
Surveying - Design Engineering - Construction Engineering - Right-of-Way - Construction
Administration - Permitting - Grant writing

• A water and sewer feasibility study was completed for Edwardsburg, Jefferson, Mason, Ontwa townships for the developed areas around Edwardsburg and the lake areas to the east. The study was completed and presented to all involved governmental agencies, recommending a gravity wastewater collection system with treatment provided by the City of Elkhart.
• 24 miles of sanitary sewer with nine lift stations was installed to serve Eagle Lake, Garver Lake and portions of the Village of Edwardsburg.
• The project needed to be completed in one construction season with the portion serving the schools in the Village of Edwardsburg in prior to schools opening. In order to accomplish this, three separate but inter-community projects were designed and bid. All three contracts were awarded to different contractors.

Services Provided:
Feasibility Study - Surveying - Engineering - Architecture - Inspection - Planning - Right-of-Way - Construction Engineering - Start-up assistance - Permitting - Maintenance - Monitoring

• As the City Engineer for Dowagiac since 1980, the original sewer and storm sewer were combined. WAI has managed the separation and replacement process over time.
• WAI has been involved in an ongoing series of tasks to improve the performance, reliability, efficiency, and safety of the Dowagiac Plant.
• The tasks have included upgrading the secondary clarifiers and aerobic digesters; converting gaseous chlorination /de-chlorination system to liquid system; tertiary filter upgrades; replacement of sludge de-watering vacuum filter with rotary filter press; and added grinder to headworks.
• We upgraded the headworks mechanical systems (primary clarifiers, sludge pumps, and grit collector).
• All these items included inspections, review and recommendations, design engineering, MDEQ permits, specifications and drawings, bid evaluations and working closely with City, Contractor, and Vendor personnel through start-ups.

Services Provided:
Feasibility Study - Surveying - Engineering - Architecture - Inspection - Planning - Right-of-Way - Construction Engineering - Start-up assistance - Permitting - Maintenance - Monitoring