Board approves wastewater treatment plant change order 3; net cost around $33,000, staff report

The Board of Public Works on Oct. 14 approved Construction Change Order 3 for upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant. Staff described multiple items in the change order: a credit for city crews removing sludge (reducing contractor scope), repairs to spalled concrete, re‑coating and replacement of corroded steel plate on a secondary digester, removal of abandoned piping near the garage, crack injections to reduce leaks in tunnels and aeration tanks, extension of a vent for ferric chloride loading operations, routing hot water to a frequently used cleaning area in the headworks building, and electrical work related to a boiler heat exchanger.

Staff said the net cost of the change order is roughly $33,000 and that, with this item, change orders equal about 2.5% of the bid price; the project is about 60% complete. Staff also noted a separate boiler replacement pricing exercise was ongoing and would be brought back as a future item if needed.

Alderman Tierney moved the change order; a board member seconded (committee member Pauley seconded as recorded). The motion passed by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.

During discussion a board member asked whether the project remained within the Clean Water Fund loan or loan contingencies. Staff said they would follow up with precise numbers to the board; in a later liaison comment a memo was referenced listing a wastewater loan amount of $12,900,000 with $550,000 contingency and bid number 11O28, which staff said they would reconcile with the project accounting and report back.

Why it matters: the change order addresses both contractor and city crew work to reduce contractor cost by using city crews on some tasks, fixes to corrosion and leaks, and operational improvements in headworks. Staff characterized the work as keeping the project on track and within overall loan parameters pending final reconciliation of accounting details.