Duluth Dedicates New Woodland Pump Station

The city honors former Chief Engineer Eric Shaffer with a newly commissioned water facility.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Utilities

Duluth Dedicates New Woodland Pump Station

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The City of Duluth Public Works and Utilities department has officially dedicated its new Woodland pump station to former Chief Engineer Eric Shaffer. Linnae Shaffer presided over the ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the facility's opening.

Why it matters

The project honors Shaffer for his extensive efforts to upgrade aging utility infrastructure and modernize the local water system. His work was pivotal in replacing the century-old equipment that previously served these neighborhoods.

The new facility provides a daily water pumping capacity of 1.4 million gallons, replacing infrastructure that had been in operation for over 100 years. A commemorative plaque now serves as a formal tribute to Eric Shaffer at the site.

The players

Eric Shaffer

He served as the Chief Engineer of Utilities for the City of Duluth and is credited with leading the efforts to replace the city's aging water infrastructure.

Linnae Shaffer

She performed the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly dedicated pump station.

City of Duluth Public Works and Utilities

This municipal department manages the city's water infrastructure, including the operation and maintenance of local pump stations.

The details

The Woodland pump station provides critical water service to the Chester Bowl, Duluth Heights, Woodland, and Morely Heights neighborhoods. It was constructed to replace outdated equipment that served the local area for more than a century.

The City of Duluth held the pump station dedication ceremony on October 28, 2026.

Market Landscape

The dedication of the Woodland pump station follows a national trend of municipal efforts to proactively modernize aging water infrastructure to avoid failures similar to the 2014-2016 Flint water crisis infrastructure overhaul. This project reflects a broader commitment by regional utilities to replace critical equipment that has surpassed its intended functional lifespan.

Residents in the Chester Bowl, Duluth Heights, Woodland, and Morely Heights neighborhoods should benefit from increased reliability in their local water supply. This modernization effort reduces the risk of service disruptions associated with the previous 100-year-old equipment.

The takeaway

Maintaining essential utility infrastructure is vital for ensuring long-term service reliability for urban neighborhoods. City departments continue to prioritize these capital improvements to replace systems that are functionally obsolete.