The City of Ann Arbor has been working on a facility plan to rehabilitate the city’s drinking water softening technology, some of which dates back to 1938. To help the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) planning team have full confidence in the recommended technology, the city is building a pilot plant.
A pilot plant is a smaller-scale plant that tests water treatment technologies before it’s implemented at full-scale, using frequent online analytics and in-lab testing to determine if the process is suitable for the large-scale plant design as predicted. The pilot plant will be used to test removal of contaminants from the city’s raw water source. Treated water from the pilot plant does not enter the city’s drinking water distribution system as this is a test process only.
The pilot plant with be enclosed within a two-story building. This week, the pilot plant enclosure is under construction within the fence line of the existing water treatment site on Sunset Road. If you drive by the site, you may notice a crane and extra cars parked on the street while the WTP’s parking lot is used for construction. The enclosure is expected to be completed by July 24. Pilot plant construction is expected to be complete by September for pilot testing in fall.
Visitors will have the chance to visit the pilot plant once completed during the WTP open house in May 2024. You also can request a Water Treatment Plant tour for groups of 5-15. Please visit the WTP website for more information.
