The Chehalis City Council on Aug. 11, 2025, approved an engineering-and-installation contract with Parametrics Inc. to replace and modernize aging control systems at the city's potable water plant and pump stations. Staff said the existing control hardware dates to the 1960s in some locations and is increasingly susceptible to failure, which can compromise alarms, pump performance and operators'ability to respond to emergencies.

City utilities staff said Parametrics was selected through a formal request-for-qualifications process. The engineering and installation estimate is $434,469.99; staff recommended a 10% contingency ($43,446.99) for a requested authorization of $477,916.98. The project cost exceeds the current 2025 appropriation of $420,000 for the control-system project, leaving a $57,916.98 gap that staff said will be covered from the Water Capital Fund and will require a future 2025 budget amendment.

In discussion, a council member asked whether the work was primarily to enable grant eligibility; staff answered the contract is to repair or replace the city's control system, improve reliability and reduce operational trips and maintenance, and that specialized engineering and licensed instrumentation contractors are required for system design and installation. Staff also said modern controls will provide remote monitoring and long-term operational savings through fewer site visits.

Council approved the contract and contingency and authorized the city manager to execute related documents. The meeting record shows the motion passed by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Staff said the upgrades are expected to reduce manual trips and provide long-term savings by improving reliability and enabling more remote monitoring of pump stations and the plant.