The City Commission approved purchase of a like-for-like recycled activated sludge (RAS) pump for the wastewater treatment plant, citing maintenance needs and the unit’s age.

Staff said the pump is a proprietary, like-for-like replacement with a 12–14 week lead time. The existing RAS pump is around 20 years old; the city maintains a small number of redundant pumps and rotates units for rebuilding when possible. Because of the price, the purchase required commission approval; staff said the cost will be included in the next budget cycle.

Commissioners asked about spare inventory and redundancies; staff said the plant has three pumps and practices rotating and rebuilding older units where possible. The commission approved the purchase by roll-call vote; Commissioners Bueller, Day, Hewitt, Rooks, Robertson, Spica and Terry voted aye.