Back to Construction Updates

Kent County Drain Commissioner - Dean Lake Level Control

Important Information

Dean Lake is a naturally occurring lake with shared ownership by waterfront parcels. Flooding during wet weather events has a negative impact on nearby properties. The Kent County Drain Commissioner (KCDC) is building a pump station and force main to convey flows to the Hills & Dales drain to prevent future flooding.

The force main portion of the project will be constructed in the late summer and fall of 2025. The pump station and lake intake structure construction will begin in the fall of 2025 and be completed in the spring of 2026, some winter work is anticipated. The project is scheduled to be complete and operational by June 2026.

Access/Traffic:

Local traffic will be maintained during construction. There may be times when your driveway is inaccessible because force main construction is occurring in front of your house or driveway restoration is taking place. The contractor will work with you ahead of time and will make special access arrangements with you if needed.

Mail:

Mailboxes that interfere with construction will be temporarily relocated so that mail service can be maintained during construction. If your mailbox needs to be temporarily relocated, the contactor will inform you of where it has been moved to and when they anticipate it will be returned to its original location.

Garbage Pickup:

The contractor will work with you and your waste hauler to maintain service throughout construction. If construction interferes with your waste haulers ability to pick up your garbage, the contractor will temporarily move your garbage bins to a central location and return them to the end of your driveway by the end of the work day.

P&N Engineer
Kevin L. Gritters, PE
Jeremy Kamp, PE
(616) 364-8491

P&N Construction Observer:
P&N will have representatives in the field throughout construction.

Contractor
Montgomery Excavating
(616) 902-5885

Kent County Drain Commissioner
(616) 632-7910

powered by Advanced iFrame

May 15, 2026

Progress Report:

This week the fence along Dean Lake was installed. Some of the work at the Augmentation Well and Downstream Monitoring sites was also completed.

Montgomery will be back on site next week to finish up the pipe and concrete work at the pump station. Conduit installation will also take place at the pump station so that Consumers Energy can begin the installation of the new service.
April 24, 2026

Over the next three weeks Montgomery will finish up punch list items along the force main route. Concrete will be poured around the pump station and Montgomery will finish up the pump station site restoration.

There has been an unexpected delay is manufacturing of the pumps and enclosure. Currently, the pumps and enclosure are scheduled to be delivered and installed the end of July.

April 10, 2026

Montgomery has continued site cleanup and grading around the pump station. Several concrete pours were completed over the past month, with additional concrete work still to come. The team is also coordinating delivery of the packaged pump station and arranging installation of the new electrical service. Once these items are scheduled, we will share further updates.
March 13, 2026

Over the past month, crews completed installation of the sheet piling for the lake outlet control structure. Montgomery has also set the precast concrete wet well and connected it to the outlet control structure with new piping.

Looking ahead, concrete work around the wet well is scheduled for next week. This concrete pad will support the pump package, which is expected to arrive on site within the next month. In addition, Montgomery’s electrical contractor will be mobilizing in the coming weeks to install conduits in preparation for the new electrical service.
January 26, 2026

Due to the current cold spell, construction startup has been pushed out to February when temperatures are expected to be above 20 degrees.

January 12, 2026

CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN AGAIN AT PUMP STATION LATER THIS MONTH

Montgomery plans to start up construction activities again later this month. All work will be weather dependent and subject to change. Below is a tentative schedule of remaining work activities:

  • Sheet pile installation for lake outlet structure: Weeks of 1/19/26 and 1/26/26 (dependent on material delivery)
  • Pump Station construction: February 2026
  • Electrical work: Week of 3/2/26 (includes work at augmentation well and downstream monitoring location)
  • Pump Station start up and testing: Mid-March
  • Project completion by early April
October 31, 2025

This Week:

  • Paving throughout the site was completed last Friday.
  • Remaining concrete work along Miramar was completed this week.
  • Montgomery completed lawn restoration and project clean-up along the force main route.

Remaining Work This Year:

  • Montgomery is trying to coordinate installation of the lake outlet control structure with their subcontractor. It is still unknown whether this work will be completed this year or pushed to next spring. Once Montgomery has a plan in place, we will provide more details here.
October 24, 2025

This Week:

  • Montgomery completed installation and testing of the ductile iron force main at the pump station site.
  • Montgomery completed construction of the air release structures.
  • Some remaining concrete work is scheduled to be completed Friday.
  • Black Gold was on site to complete the paving this week.

Next Week:

  • Montgomery will work on lawn restoration and general project cleanup along the force main route.

Remaining Work This Fall:

  • Montgomery is planning to install the precast concrete wet well structure and lake outlet control structure yet this year. Once Montgomery has everything in place to complete this work we will provide more details.
October 17, 2025

This Week:

  • Montgomery successfully tested the HDPE force main on Monday to confirm there are no leaks in the pipeline.
  • Road grading along Holtman, Miramar, and Dade was completed.
  • Concrete driveways and curb sections were replaced.
  • Black Gold, Montgomery’s paving subcontractor, is scheduled to be on site today (Friday) to pave Holtman and Dade.

Next Week:

  • Montgomery will work on lawn restoration and continue road grading along Vineyard and Miramar.
  • Manhole covers on Holtman and Dade will be adjusted to final grade.
  • Any remaining concrete work will be completed next week.
  • No paving is anticipated to be completed next week, but Montgomery will be prepping for paving to be completed the last week of October.

We ask that residents avoid driving through the work zone when possible, even after base course paving has been completed. Additional traffic through the work zone only slows down the construction process and adds unnecessary safety concerns for both the crew and motorist.

October 10, 2025

This Week:

  • The last section of HDPE force main will be installed today.
  • Montgomery plans to fill the force main with water and complete the hydrostatic test this afternoon to ensure there are no leaks.
  • Montgomery began placing gravel along Holtman between Vineyard and Balsam.

Next Week:

  • Pending passing test results, Montgomery will continue road grading and place new gravel base in preparation for paving later this month.
  • Driveway and lawn restoration work will begin.