The City of Kalamazoo’s Public Services Department is celebrating Public Services Week by hosting a series of open houses for residents to learn more about their work.

The open houses will take place May 21-23 and will include tours of the Central Water Pumping Station, Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant, and Public Services offices. For complete details on the various open houses, click here.

At the Central Water Pumping Station, residents will be able to learn how water is supplied and treated for nearly 200,000 people who rely on it. Tours will start every 30 minutes.

At the Kalamazoo Water Reclamation Plant, residents will learn about the different steps that take the used water from homes and businesses to remove contaminants and safely return it to the environment. The tour will also visit the recently completed $13 million tertiary treatment facility, which removes final impurities before the water is released.

On Thursday, May 23, residents will be able to tour the Public Services offices at 415 E Stockbridge Avenue and learn about public works topics such as streets, traffic signals, sidewalks, forestry, and recycling. Heavy public services trucks and equipment will be on display in the parking lot.

“For all the streets, sidewalks, trees, and other infrastructure you see above ground, there’s even more below the surface,” said Public Services Director James Baker. “We have dedicated professionals that are operating, monitoring, and maintaining our infrastructure and utility systems 24/7, and this is a great opportunity to learn a little more about how these systems work and ask any questions you have.”