City staff recommend contract award for Well No. 4 raw water main work; combined project remains under estimate

City staff recommended awarding the non-drilling portion of the Well No. 4 raw water main improvements to Pember Companies after bids were received, and reported the combined drilling and site‑work package remains under the overall project estimate.

Public Works presenter explained that the bid package presented to council covered site preparation, generator and control panels, driveway work, directional drilling of the force main to the treatment plant, and internal building components needed to meter the well. The low bidder on this portion was Pember Companies at approximately $621,000, which was about $225,000 under the city's estimate for that portion of the project.

The nut graf: When combined with the separate well‑drilling contract (which was higher than estimated), the entire project is still roughly $122,000 under the combined engineer's estimate. Staff recommended awarding the site‑work/equipment contract to Pember Companies and proceeding with the remaining procurement steps; staff also described oversight and testing procedures (pressure testing, bacteriological testing, materials verification) and said engineering staff and inspectors would monitor fusing, pressure tests, and start‑up activities.

Council asked about contractor experience and the engineering oversight plan. Staff said inspectors would be present for key stages, materials would be submitted for verification, and systems would be pressure and bacteriologically tested before connection to the city's water system. A formal council vote to award the contract is recorded in the full meeting minutes beyond the excerpt provided.