Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Treatment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves $625,333 change order for water treatment plant; engineers to stay on through closeout
Summary
The Junction City Commission approved Change Order No. 9 for Phase 2 of the water treatment plant improvements, adding $625,333 in work and extending the contract to June 15, 2026; the city also approved a $112,591 engineering amendment for project closeout oversight.
The Junction City Commission on a voice vote approved Change Order No. 9 for Phase 2 of the city’s water treatment plant improvements, adding $625,333 to the project budget and extending the construction contract to June 15, 2026.
The change order covers five items, the largest of which is replacement of piping in the filter gallery. “Work directive 109 is to replace all that piping that is bed in the filter gallery for $571,825,” the project presenter said. He described the pipe as degraded: “It’s a 24‑inch pipe. Its walls are thin. It’s really weak. You can’t repair it at all.” The commission was told crews discovered the condition while scraping rust and that a hole was punched through the pipe during the examination.
Commissioners pressed staff and the project engineer on how the condition was missed in earlier assessments. “Sometimes you don’t see it till you actually start digging,” a staff member said, and HDR, the engineer of record, recommended replacement after inspection. Commissioners asked for the project cost and schedule documents and requested an explanation of prior inspections; staff agreed to provide the cost‑estimate and schedule materials on request.
The commission also approved Amendment No. 5 to the engineering services contract for $112,591 so the engineer of record will provide administrative oversight, review shop drawings and handle KDHE closeout paperwork.
City staff described the project as substantially complete, but noted the pipe replacement requires a year‑long lead time for the specialty pipe. The commission debated risk and contractor/engineer accountability; commissioners said they will review billing and design oversight with the engineering firm when HDR briefs the commission in June.
The commission approved the change order and the engineering amendment after discussion. Staff will supply the commission with the cost‑history and the timeline of change orders and will ask the engineering firm to attend the next briefing to answer questions about scope definition and inspection procedures.
