The Great Lakes Water Authority has engaged NORESCO to carry out $100 million in improvements at its Water Resource Recovery Facility in Detroit, the nation’s largest single-site wastewater treatment plant.
The work, structured as Phase 2 of an ongoing progressive design-build contract, expands significantly on a prior rehabilitation effort and is aimed at bolstering resiliency while reducing reliance on potable water.
The latest scope centers on replacing a nearly 50-year-old screened final effluent pump station with a right-sized facility designed for 60 million gallons per day of capacity to supply non-potable water for uses that do not require drinking quality.
A new reuse stream, capable of delivering 4 MGD of filtered and disinfected water, will also be introduced to meet internal process demands at the WRRF.
Following completion, most of the facility’s process water needs will be supplied by treated wastewater, with potable water available only as a backup.
Map of municipal service areas for the Great Lakes Water Authority’s WRRF in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Shaded regions represent communities whose wastewater flows to the Detroit WRRF via three major interceptors. Solid black lines denote county boundaries. Image: GLWA
GLWA said it selected a progressive design-build model to carry out the work citing that the delivery method offers “greater cost certainty,” reduces schedule risks and improves efficiency. The collaboration dates to an initial energy audit by NORESCO that informed Phase 1 of the program and set the stage for the expanded Phase 2 scope.
Public procurement records show NORESCO was previously awarded the SFE Pump Station Rehabilitation contract under GLWA’s Capital Improvement Plan (project 216008). That contract, valued at approximately $3.4 million, was awarded under a specialized procurement process.
The new $100-million commitment reflects a much broader expansion, incorporating both new infrastructure and resiliency measures. GLWA’s 2025-2029 capital plan emphasizes infrastructure renewal, resiliency improvements and affordability measures.
The Detroit WRRF serves Detroit and 76 surrounding communities, covering a service area of more than 946 sq miles and providing wastewater treatment for nearly 30% of Michigan’s population.
Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 estimates, Michigan’s population totals about 10.14 million, meaning GLWA’s wastewater system supports roughly 3 million residents across southeast Michigan
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Troy Walters, president and CEO of NORESCO, said in a news release that the company will keep working with GLWA to upgrade its facilities, improve reliability, and lower operating costs while aligning resources with demand.
“The infrastructure upgrade project, especially modernizing the nearly 50-year-old SFE pump station, addresses [these objectives] through equipment rehabilitation and system resilience improvements,” he said.
