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Council approves $4.56 million upgrade to downtown wastewater grit removal system
Summary
The Beatrice City Council approved a roughly $4.56 million contract to upgrade the city’s wastewater grit removal system, replacing 1980s-era equipment and updating control software, the council was told.
The Beatrice City Council, by approving the consent agenda 8-0, authorized a roughly $4,559,000 construction contract to upgrade the city’s wastewater grit removal system and related controls, city staff said at the May 2025 meeting.
Council member Terry asked the council to explain what “GRID improvements” meant on the consent agenda. A city staff member answered that grit (material such as sand or shells that accumulates as a byproduct of wastewater treatment) damages pumps and other equipment and therefore needs to be removed more efficiently. The staff member said the current system dates to the 1980s and the project will replace that equipment and update SCADA software.
Staff said the project came in about $1 million over the engineer’s estimate. The city received a $2,000,000 congressional appropriation that has been routed through the EPA for approval; the remaining shortfall will be paid from the department’s infrastructure fund rather than by delaying other FY26 projects. The project timeline was described as about 10 months.
The consent agenda motion that included the project passed 8-0; the meeting record shows pay request No. 4 for related work and construction contract amounts listed in the consent materials. Staff said the removed grit is typically disposed of at a landfill.
Council discussion focused on clarifying what grit is, how the new equipment would reduce wear on pumps, the project’s funding sources and the department’s plan to cover the budget gap. No separate public hearing or further action on the item was taken beyond the consent vote.
