Warr Acres approves emergency sewer repair contract, OKs construction management for sanitary line

Warr Acres city officials voted to award an emergency contract to Kraft Reynolds for the Pines East Lake sanitary sewer improvements and approved a separate construction-management contract to oversee the work. The council said the sewer repair is being paid through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan and construction could begin almost immediately.

Public works staff described the problem as urgent after heavy winter rain. "The top of the pipe actually collapsed ... there is now a sinkhole in the ground in between 2 of the houses that is about 11 feet deep," the staff member said, adding that crews moved to bypass pumping as soon as the failure was discovered. The repair package on the table would replace 768 linear feet of sewer main, with pipe sections of 21 inches, 24 inches and 27 inches in diameter.

The city said it solicited bids quickly after the failure and received three offers. Downey Contracting, the apparent low bidder, asked to withdraw because of an incorrect unit price; Kraft Reynolds was the next low bidder and the city recommended awarding the contract to them in the amount of $1,796,497, to be paid from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan. Council members approved the contract by roll-call vote.

Separately, the council approved an hourly construction-management and inspection contract with SRB for the sanitary sewer portion of the work. City staff said the construction-management line item had to be adjusted because the state loan program would not cover construction inspection for both the sewer work and the dam/spillway work; the city said $200,000 for construction management was included in the SRF loan budget and the contract under action was for about $63,010 (hourly basis) so the city can use only what is necessary and conserve funds for the later project.

City staff emphasized that the sanitary sewer repair needed to proceed now to avoid further failures. "We are all ready to go with construction starting pretty much tomorrow morning if you guys approve this contract tonight," the public works staff member said.

Action details: the council approved the sewer construction contract and the SRB construction-management contract during the special meeting; the sewer contract was described as an emergency repair following the collapse and sinkhole. The council discussion included technical clarifications about the length and diameters of the replacement pipe and confirmation that bypass pumping had been in place since the failure was discovered.

Because the sewer line crosses or approaches the dam and spillway area, staff and the council noted coordination is needed with the separate dam/spillway project (which was considered later in the meeting). Council members said the sanitary sewer work is proceeding now while the dam/spillway work is being finalized with the HOA and state dam-safety permit processes.

Funding and oversight: staff said the work will be funded through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan and that OWRB/loan rules constrain which construction-management costs the loan will cover. The city said it will coordinate oversight and any shared inspection responsibilities with the HOA and through the separate memorandum of understanding currently under revision.

What’s next: crews were expected to mobilize immediately; staff and the awarded contractor will finalize a notice to proceed and begin construction. The dam and spillway work remains under separate consideration and permitting.