Customized BILCO Roof Hatch Solves Installation Challenge in Michigan Project

Project Snapshot

  • The Genesee County Drain Commissioner—Division of Water and Waste Services completed a three-year, $9.5 million project to construct a new digestion and dewatering facility.
  • The facility retrofit included the installation of two 18,500-pound centrifuges to process up to 250 GPM of sludge for improved wastewater management.

BILCO Products

  • A custom 22-foot-long roof hatch from BILCO was used to lower and install the massive centrifuges into a fourth-floor space of a 51-year-old building.
  • The hatch features heavy-duty arms, chains and Type 316 Stainless Steel Hardware to ensure safe, unobstructed access and watertight closure.

Genesee County in Michigan addressed evolving regional health and environmental concerns by upgrading its sludge processing system. The new Genesee County Digestion and Dewatering Facility was built to transition from liquid land application to landfill disposal, a shift driven by growing concerns over PFAS contamination of processing 250 gallons of sludge per minute, significantly reducing volume and minimizing potential exposure to harmful chemicals.

One of the most complex aspects of the project was transporting and installing the 18,500-pound centrifuges on the fourth floor of an existing structure. To solve this logistical challenge, Sorenson Gross, the project’s general contractor, used a custom roof hatch from BILCO which was selected for its durability and proven performance. The hatch allowed safe installation and will facilitate future maintenance access.

“BILCO was selected as the basis-of-design manufacturer of the roof hatch by the design engineer. It is understood that this selection was based on previous experience and overall product quality. The hatch met the project requirements of providing unobstructed access to and watertight closure of the roof penetration that was necessary to install and maintain the new equipment.”

Genesee County Drain Commissioner – Division of Water and Waste Services

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