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Grand Rapids approves $2.15M substation replacement at wastewater plant

Grand Rapids approves $2.15M substation replacement at wastewater plant

Built World Grand Rapids, MI local

Bazen Electric wins low bid of $1.75M for North Primary Substation; Fiscal Committee adds $541,755 to the project budget

October 27th, 2026: Fiscal Committee approves $541,755 budget substitution

Overview

Updated Nov 3

Grand Rapids' wastewater plant treats 40 million gallons a day. A city commission committee approved a $1.75 million contract with Bazen Electric in October to replace the plant's aging North Primary Substation, capped at $2.15 million.

On October 27, the Fiscal Committee approved a $541,755 budget substitution for the replacement, the difference between the $1.6 million in the capital plan and the $2,141,755 cap. The work is paid from the Sewer System Fund, with substantial completion expected by October 29, 2027.

Why it matters

The aging substation sits at the plant that treats 40 million gallons of Grand Rapids wastewater a day. Replacing it will cost up to $2.15 million from the Sewer System Fund.

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Key Indicators

$1,748,800
Low bid for substation replacement
Bazen Electric's winning bid for the North Primary Substation project.
$2.15M
Total project cap
Maximum total cost approved by the committee, funded by the Sewer System Fund.
$541,755
Budget substitution approved Oct. 27
Amount added by the Fiscal Committee, matching the gap between the $1.6 million capital-plan figure and the $2,141,755 cap.
40M gallons/day
Wastewater treated daily
Daily volume processed by the Water Resource Recovery Facility before discharge.

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People Involved

Mark Washington
Mark Washington
City Manager of Grand Rapids
In office
JO
James Ouzts
Environmental Services Manager
In office

Organizations Involved

City of Grand Rapids
City of Grand Rapids
Municipal government
Owner and operator of the Water Resource Recovery Facility

Municipal government of Grand Rapids, Michigan, which owns and operates the Water Resource Recovery Facility.
BE
Bazen Electric Co.
Electrical contractor
Awarded the North Primary Substation replacement contract

Electrical contractor that submitted the low bid for the North Primary Substation replacement.

Timeline

2017 October 2026

7 events Latest: October 27th, 2026 · 2 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Fiscal Committee approves $541,755 budget substitution

    Latest Funding

    The committee approved a budget substitution of $541,755 for the Water Resource Recovery Facility substation replacement, matching the gap between the $1.6 million in the capital plan and the $2,141,755 contract cap.

  2. Construction scheduled to begin on North Primary Substation replacement

    Construction

    Bazen Electric was scheduled to start demolition and installation work at the Water Resource Recovery Facility. No source confirms work began that day; substantial completion is expected by October 29, 2027.

  3. Substation replacement approved

    Contract

    Committee approves a $1,748,800 low-bid contract with Bazen Electric for the North Primary Substation replacement; total project cost capped at $2.15M.

  4. Federal grant for UV disinfection

    Funding

    City awarded $1.09M federal grant for UV disinfection system at wastewater plant.

  5. LED conversion finished

    Construction

    City completes LED streetlight conversion, saving $350,000 annually.

  6. Solar array completed

    Construction

    Nearly 1 MW solar array completed at Lake Michigan Filtration Plant.

  7. Biodigester construction begins

    Construction

    City starts $85M biodigester at Water Resource Recovery Facility to capture renewable natural gas.

Scenarios

1

Substation replacement completed on schedule

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: City of Grand Rapids engineering department

Bazen Electric completes demolition, equipment installation, and testing within the $2.15 million cap. The new substation secures power for the wastewater plant, and the city closes out the project.

2

Cost overruns push project past $2.15 million cap

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: City commission oversight

Change orders, unexpected conditions, or delays push costs above the approved cap. The city must approve additional funding, likely from the Sewer System Fund, meaning higher costs for ratepayers.

3

Substation fails before replacement complete

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Infrastructure risk analysts

The aging substation fails during construction, causing an unplanned outage at the wastewater plant. The city must run on backup power or partially shut down treatment, risking a discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

August 2003

2003 Northeast blackout (August 2003)

On August 14, 2003, a software bug and a downed power line in Ohio triggered a cascading blackout across the northeastern US and Canada. 55 million people lost power, some for days. The failure cost an estimated $6 billion.

Then

Power was restored within days. Investigations found the causes were preventable and largely due to inadequate maintenance and monitoring.

Now

The blackout led to mandatory reliability standards for the US power grid, enforced by a new regulator.

Why this matters now

Shows how one failure in an electrical system can cascade into wide disruption. Grand Rapids is replacing an aging substation at its wastewater plant.

2019

PG&E public safety power shutoffs (2019)

In 2019, California utility PG&E shut off power to millions of customers to prevent wildfires sparked by its aging equipment. The shutoffs came after PG&E's lines caused the deadly 2018 Camp Fire.

Then

Millions lost power for days. PG&E, already in bankruptcy since January 2019 over Camp Fire liabilities, faced intense criticism.

Now

The utility now faces billions in wildfire liability, and infrastructure investment became a statewide priority.

Why this matters now

Illustrates the cost of deferring electrical infrastructure maintenance. Grand Rapids is investing now to avoid a more expensive failure later.

Sources

(11)
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City of Grand Rapids City of Grand Rapids City of Grand Rapids Spectrum News ConstructConnect City of Grand Rapids City of Grand Rapids Vinod Jose Govly MichiganBids.net The Boring Parts