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Council approves $127,059 change order for water plant intake repairs and valve work
Summary
The council approved Change Order No. 1 with Meridian Contracting to add a gate valve and related work at the water treatment plant intake, increasing project cost to $127,059, with the work intended to reduce future service interruptions and ease diver access.
The Alpena City Council on Sept. 2 approved Change Order No. 1 for the 2024 Water Treatment Plant intake cleaning and repairs project, adding work to install a gate valve and authorizing a total change order amount reflected as $127,059 on the meeting record.
City staff explained the original contract (November 2024) with Meridian Contracting addressed cleaning an intake line that had been plugged by silt and zebra mussels and included a bidder alternate for a gate-valve replacement priced at $109,005.29 that was not awarded at the time. Because the valve replacement was later included in the Capital Improvement Plan and FY26 budget, staff requested a change order to install the valve; the diver company requested an additional $17,530 for remobilization to complete the work. The council approved the change order and authorized payment to the contractor.
Council members asked whether the valve will reduce future maintenance costs; staff responded that replacing the butterfly valve with a gate valve will allow divers and equipment easier access and reduce repeated removals for service. Staff also noted the chemical feed lines that help control zebra mussel fouling remain a critical part of intake maintenance.
Why it matters: the valve replacement and associated diver remobilization are intended to reduce ongoing maintenance time and cost by providing safer, more direct access to the intake for inspection and service; the change order increases the contract cost and was approved by council.
