Board approves trial pump from Penn Valley for wastewater plant to add redundancy

The Franklin City Board of Public Works and Safety on April 7 approved a trial pump agreement with Penn Valley Pump for the city’s wastewater treatment plant, authorizing purchase from the general sewer utility fund.

DPW Assistant Superintendent Ray Rooks said the plant’s existing basement pumps had been repeatedly repaired and one unit was effectively running “to death.” “We need some redundancy on that,” Rooks said, explaining the repaired unit is now pumping about 110 gallons per minute but the plant needs two reliable pumps to avoid breakdowns and odor problems.

Staff and board members discussed terms of a 180-day trial. City staff reported the pump cost is “right around $46,000.” The contract includes a $5,500 refurbishment fee that the vendor would assess if the city keeps a demonstration pump after the trial; staff said the fee would be waived if the pump fails mechanically during the trial. Staff also listed incidental costs included in the vendor estimate: a one-day setup and training fee of $2,500, shipping of roughly $1,000 and a pressure switch of about $1,400.

City officials said the pump model under consideration will be the same that the city expects to use in the new wastewater plant and can be reinstalled for long-term service. City staff said they had visited other plants and received a vendor demonstration and expressed confidence the pump will work in Franklin’s application. Rebecca Lee of HPT was cited in discussion as a vendor contact who indicated the $5,500 clause is primarily protective for the seller and would not be enforced in the event of a mechanical failure during the trial.

The board moved and approved the agreement; the decision authorized use of unappropriated general sewer utility funds to pay for the trial pump and associated installation and training costs. No roll-call vote names were read into the record; the board adopted the motion by voice vote.

Board members and staff said the trial is intended to reduce future breakdowns and protect treatment operations while the city proceeds with a longer-term plant upgrade.

The board’s action was procedural and limited to approving the trial agreement; staff said a separate procurement step or construction action will follow for the permanent equipment and plant work.