ZBPW Named Water Utility of the Year at Annual Conference

Photo courtesy Zeeland Board of Public Works

The Zeeland Board of Public Works has been named the Water Utility of the Year by the Michigan Rural Water Association. Pictured with the award sign are (from left) Tom Speer, regulatory compliance, water quality and safety director at the city of Lawrence, Ind.; ZBPW General Manager Andrew Boatright; ZBPW water service technician Jason Postma; ZBPW water service technician Scott Freers and Todd Hackenberg, village manager for the village of Lawton.

By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record

The Zeeland Board of Public Works has been named the 2025 Water Utility of the Year by the Michigan Rural Water Association.

The utility received the honor last week during the association’s annual conference at Grand Traverse Resort near Traverse City.

ZBPW General Manager Andrew Boatright attributed the award to the water department’s commitment to public health, operational efficiency and innovation. The department’s recent accomplishments include:

 • Proactive Water Safety Measures: Frequent testing, monitoring, and proactive issue resolution to ensure clean, reliable water services.

 • GIS Technology Integration: Enhanced workflow efficiency, data accuracy, and decision-making by incorporating geographic information systems (GIS).

 • Galvanized Service Line Replacement (GSLR) Program: Implementing a five-year initiative, starting in 2021, to replace more than 1,000 galvanized service lines, with 718 already completed. This program leverages GIS for material
inventory tracking and customer notifications.

• Advanced Metering Infrastructure Implementation: Upgrading metering infrastructure, with 75 percent of meters utilizing Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to improve water usage monitoring and customer service.

• Capital Improvement Plan (CIP): A six-year initiative focusing on pump station upgrades, including new pumps, motors, valves, flow meters, and variable frequency drives (VFDs) to enhance system reliability and sustainability.

 “These efforts highlight ZBPW’s leadership in water utility management, setting industry standards and ensuring long-term water quality and service reliability,” Boatright wrote in an email to the Zeeland Record.

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