The Benton Township Board of Trustees has approved bids for about $12.9 million in water and sewer system work.

At a meeting this past week, trustees heard from Steve Oosting of engineering firm Prein & Newhof there are three separate projects coming up, all funded with federal grants. First will be the construction of new water towers.

“This project entails construction of two new elevated water storage tanks in the water distribution system,” Oosting said. “One will be located along Zoschke Road east of M-63. The other will be located along South Euclid Avenue adjacent to the existing standpipe.”

Osoting said these tanks will improve water pressure in some areas. The project comes in at a cost of $9.7 million with CB&I Storage Tank Solutions as the winning bidder. Prein & Newhof will do engineering at a cost of $490,000.

The next project will involve work at the water treatment plant.

“This is a project that will add an additional set of filters at the water plant that will result in a net increase in the total water plant capacity.”

The capacity will go from three million gallons to four million. That work comes at a cost of $1.8 million with Allied Mechanical Services as the winning bidder. Engineering will cost $124,000.

Finally, trustees approved a bid from B&Z Construction to replace lead water service lines around the township at a cost of $786,000. Oosting said the goal is to replace all of the remaining lead lines in the township.

The three projects have been in the planning stage for well over a year.