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Meridian declares state of emergency to repair pumps at B Street Freshwater Treatment Plant
Summary
The City Council voted Jan. 21 to declare a state of emergency to allow immediate repairs at the B Street Freshwater Treatment Plant after one pump was removed and another showed a leaking seal; staff recommended rebuilding a motor that would return service faster than waiting for a new unit.
The Meridian City Council on Jan. 21, 2025 voted to declare a state of emergency to repair service pumps at the B Street Freshwater Treatment Plant, authorizing staff to move forward with procurement and repairs immediately.
City water-department staff told the council that pump No. 3 had been removed for repair and that pump No. 2 was leaking a seal and could fail at an indeterminate time — the technician told the council it might last days, weeks or years. Staff described pump No. 3 as the largest of the three (a 350-horsepower unit) and said pump No. 2 is a 250-horsepower unit. Staff recommended rebuilding the motor for pump No. 3 because a rebuilt motor would return the pump to service sooner; staff said a rebuild would take about two to three weeks while a new replacement could take eight to ten weeks.
At the meeting staff gave a rebuild price for the motor as $37,000. The meeting record contains inconsistent figures for the cost of a new pump; staff reported a new-pump price during discussion but the transcript contains conflicting numbers and the new-pump price could not be verified from the meeting record.
Council members asked questions about sequencing: staff said the removed unit is pump No. 3, that the plan is to rebuild No. 3 and then address No. 2 (either rebuild or replace depending on price and condition). Council approved the emergency order without a roll-call tally recorded in the public transcript.
The emergency declaration attaches to staff requisitions and vendor work so repairs and rebuilt motors can proceed immediately; staff told the council they will finalize requisitions and contracts with the selected vendor to return the plant to full service.
Why it matters: the B Street Freshwater Treatment Plant supplies parts of the city, and the largest service pump being offline increases system risk if additional pumps fail. The emergency order allows the city to shorten procurement lead time and prioritize repairs.
What’s next: staff will proceed with the requisition and repair work described at the meeting and return to the council with further procurement paperwork as required by city policy.
