City selects Wharton Smith as construction manager for Riverside filtration improvements to address PFAS

City of West Columbia City Council on a unanimous vote approved selecting Wharton Smith Inc. as construction manager at risk for filtration improvements at the Riverside Water Treatment Facility and authorized the city administrator to negotiate the associated construction agreement.

Council and staff said the work is intended as an incremental, near-term step to provide PFAS removal while the city develops longer-term solutions. Staff told the council the project is funded in part by principal-forgiveness money from a state revolving fund awarded in July 2024 and that the award supports a detailed PFAS master plan for the plant. The council approved authorization for the city administrator to negotiate terms and a contract for construction services.

City staff said they solicited statements of qualifications and received responses from three contractors; the staff evaluation concluded Wharton Smith assembled the strongest team with relevant gravity filtration renovation experience, an approach that balanced maintenance of plant operations and project schedule, and thus recommended Wharton Smith.

The approval does not commit the city to a final construction contract until negotiations are complete. Staff described the improvement as a near-term PFAS removal measure rather than a permanent treatment solution; staff said recommendations from the master plan will be incorporated into future capital-improvement updates. The council voted unanimously to approve the selection and the administrator's negotiating authority.

Next steps listed by staff include finalizing the negotiated agreement, scheduling work to maintain plant operations during construction, and incorporating master-plan recommendations into subsequent revisions of the 10-year capital improvements program.