City council approved the purchase of a 2018 Ford F-350 truck for the water department on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

The truck costs $43,515 and was purchased through Krapohl Ford of Mt. Pleasant.

The purchase was planned and budgeted, but at an estimated cost of $60,000, so city taxpayers caught a break there.

However, the new truck won’t be ready for pickup until March or April 2019 because it must be specially outfitted. It will replace a 2003 3/4 ton Ford truck.

The city also checked with LaFontaine Chevrolet of Dexter, and the cost to get a comparable truck there is $45,858. Plus, it wouldn’t be delivered until 2020.

The Water Department also asked Ithaca Chevrolet to bid last June, but the bid never materialized, said Public Services Director Keith Risdon via email.

The new truck will come off a Ford assembly line, then be taken to Knapheide Truck Equipment of Flint for the fabrication and installation of a service box behind the cab.

The service box will contain the tools, fittings, testing materials and other equipment that the Water Department uses to repair leaks, install meters and service connections, locate water lines, take water samples for lead, copper and bacteria testing, mark Miss Dig requests and other activities at city pump stations, Risdon said.

The other Water Department service truck also includes a power lift crane to lift values, pumps and other heavy equipment when maintaining the various pump stations, valves and fire hydrants.

City officials plan to sell the old service truck, probably at Bader & Sons annual equipment auction in the spring.