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Commission approves $625,000 change order to replace corroded pipe in water treatment project
Summary
The Junction City Commission approved Change Order No. 9 and a related engineering amendment to replace degraded piping and extend the water treatment plant improvements contract after staff and the engineer reported the pipe could not be repaired.
The Junction City Commission on May 20 approved Change Order No. 9 for Phase 2 of the water treatment plant improvements, adding roughly $625,000 to the project and extending the contractor’s completion date by about a year.
City staff told commissioners the largest single item in the change order is replacing piping in the plant’s filter gallery that engineers concluded was too thin and damaged to repair. The replacement line and associated work were listed at $571,825; additional items in the change order include wiring and mechanical repairs and ductwork work, producing a total change-order cost of approximately $625,363. The commission also approved Amendment No. 5 for engineering services to oversee the additional work and close out the loan with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for $112,591.
The city said the piping in question feeds treated water to the distribution towers and was found to be corroded when crews scraped rust during work; a contractor’s probe reportedly pierced the pipe during that work and the project engineer (HDR) recommended full replacement rather than repair. Because the replacement material has a long lead time, staff told the commission the contract completion date would be extended about a year to allow procurement and installation.
Commissioners pressed staff and the engineer about why the deterioration was not identified earlier in the design and bidding phases. Staff replied that some conditions are not visible until work begins and excavation or deconstruction is underway. Commissioners asked for the project cost and scope history; staff said those reports are available and offered to provide a consolidated cost analysis to the commission.
The commission voted to approve the change order and the engineering amendment. Staff said the project is at roughly 96% completion aside from the newly identified work and that HDR remains the engineer of record and will continue project oversight through closeout.
Background: Phase 2 of the water treatment plant improvements is being carried out under a loan agreement amendment with KDHE. Change Order No. 9 lists multiple work directives, including monitoring equipment, wiring for backwash pumps, compressor repairs, filter gallery piping replacement, and dehumidifier ductwork.
