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Building Utilities Committee unanimously recommends bidding $2.275 million chlorine-gas conversion at water plant
Summary
The committee recommended that council authorize advertising for bids for a gas-to-sodium hypochlorite conversion at the city water treatment plant, with an estimated authorization amount of $2,275,000 and an approximate $100,000 shortfall to be covered from the water fund balance.
Samuel Pierce, chair of the Building Utilities Committee, said the committee recommended that the City Council authorize the Director of Public Service and Safety to advertise for bids for the gas conversion project at the water treatment plant at a cost not to exceed $2,275,000.
The recommendation follows a risk assessment and design work completed in 2023 and regulatory review by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, which staff said prompted clarifications before the city could begin the bidding process. A staff member said, “we did receive, I guess, tentative approval or we're close enough that we can, we can go out to, to start the bidding process for construction.”
The project would convert the plant's chlorine gas disinfection system to a sodium hypochlorite injection model and would include replacement of Limeslaker 4 plus meters and valve replacements listed in the 2025 approved budget footnotes. The staff member said the quoted price is roughly $100,000 higher than anticipated and that the difference "will be available within the fund balance of the water fund." The committee noted the request was not for emergency legislation.
Gary Evans, water treatment plant superintendent, told the committee there is a cost increase for sodium hypochlorite compared with chlorine gas but described the conversion as an industry-wide trend driven by safety and regulatory risk. He summarized a federal Risk Management Plan conducted for the plant and said it estimates that “approximately 13,000 people will be negatively impacted [with] long term health effects if we would lose one of our four tanks at the plant.” He also cited other utilities that have switched and ongoing containment work at peer plants.
Committee members and an audience questioner asked about schedule, staffing and operational impacts. The staff member estimated the conversion "should be done by the end of the year, maybe early next year," and said no additional personnel would be required to operate the system. Jeffrey Witten, an audience member, asked about operating cost differences; Gary Evans said sodium hypochlorite will cost more than gas given recent price increases but that the plant's revenue and rate structure cover improvements.
After discussion the committee agreed unanimously to recommend the project be advertised for bids and proceed to the council for authorization to contract.
