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Officials Approve HVAC and Odor-Control Contracts as Utilities Prepare Phase 1 Improvements
Summary
The City Council approved consent-agenda contracts to replace rooftop HVAC units at the wastewater treatment plant and to renew odor-control services; utilities staff said hydrogen sulfide corrosion has reduced equipment lifespan and that a planned phase 1 odor-control investment of over $2 million should help.
The City Council approved consent-agenda resolutions that include a contract to replace rooftop HVAC units at the wastewater treatment plant and a renewal option for odor-control chemicals and services.
Tom Pingle, the city's utilities director, told the council the plant's HVAC units have an average lifespan of about two years because hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in and around the plant corrodes coils and components. "The H2S is so present and so concentrated there ... those don't last very long either," Pingle said, explaining the replacements.
Pingle said the city's planned phase 1 odor-control work, which he described as "over $2,000,000 of odor control," should substantially increase the lifespan of HVAC units and improve worker health once installed. The contracts for rooftop units and for odor-control chemicals were listed on the consent agenda and approved as part of the bundle the council passed 5–0.
Council members discussed longer-term options including geothermal systems at other local facilities and asked staff and engineers to evaluate alternatives. "I just wonder if there would be a more sustainable solution," a council member said, noting other local projects that used geothermal systems.
Staff said they are evaluating options and will bring information back; the transcript shows staff and council referenced other local facilities that adopted geothermal. Several purchase orders and service agreements tied to utilities maintenance and the wastewater plant appear on the consent agenda.
