The Board of Trustees on Aug. 12 approved a resolution accepting construction of Wellington's Water Reclamation Facility expansion project and closing the project's construction phase.

Why it matters: The expanded facility is a major utility capital project financed through state loan programs; acceptance completes the construction contract closeout required by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for loan finalization.

Deputy Public Works Director Nathan Ewart reviewed the project timeline and finances. Jacobs Engineering completed the design in December 2021; Moltz Construction (CMAR) performed construction under a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) originally set at $47,900,984, which included owner and contractor contingency. Construction began in April 2022 and substantial completion of the main project was achieved in October 2024. Staff added scope work during construction (rehabilitation of the existing aeration basins and associated piping and sensors) using contingency funds, which eliminated a separate $2 million capital project that had been scheduled later.

Ewart said final project expenditures will be approximately $45,870,000, about $1.7 million below the final contract amount. The project was financed with two loans: a $45.5 million Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund loan at 3.9% for 30 years and a $3 million Green Project Reserve loan at 1.5% for 30 years, for a combined $48.5 million loan package; final contract closeout paperwork will follow the contractor's final pay application, expected later this month or in early September.

Trustees congratulated staff and contractors. Ewart thanked Moltz Construction and Jacobs, and public-works staff who worked on the project. The board voted to accept construction and authorized final acceptance paperwork. No litigation, claim or outstanding work items were presented at the acceptance hearing; staff said final payment is pending receipt of the contractor's final pay application and that the notice of acceptability was already issued June 24, 2025.

The resolution acceptance completes a key administrative step for the loan closeout process with CDPHE.