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Lamar council adopts specifications for $34.76 million industrial wastewater pretreatment project
Summary
The Lamar City Council on Sept. 2 adopted final plans and specifications for an industrial wastewater pretreatment facility estimated at $34,760,000; funding will come from bonding and later be retired through sewer rates and industrial agreements that remain under negotiation.
The Lamar City Council on Tuesday adopted final plans, specifications and an estimated cost for an industrial wastewater pretreatment facility intended to serve high‑strength wastewater from wells and camps.
City administration presented the project at the council’s Sept. 2 meeting and said the estimated cost is $34,760,000 and that the project would be funded through bonding and retired through sewer rates and industrial agreements that are still under negotiation. The project description presented to council lists two 8‑MG earthen basin reactors, a screen building, a pretreatment building and biogas equipment. The schedule provided on the agenda sets a bid opening for Oct. 9, 2025, a potential award on Oct. 21, 2025, with the facility coming online Oct. 27, 2025, and final completion in August 2028.
The council opened a public hearing on the plans and specifications and solicited comments; none were offered during the hearing. Administration recommended approval and the council adopted Resolution No. 25‑40 on a roll‑call vote. The motion passed and the record shows unanimous support among those voting.
Council members asked for additional detail about how much of the project cost would be covered by industrial agreements currently under negotiation. A council member asked, “can we have a feel for how much of the total project we might be looking at that are being negotiated?” City staff replied that those negotiations would cover only a portion of the total project and estimated “probably a fourth,” but said staff did not have a precise breakdown at the meeting.
The council did not approve detailed financing documents at the Sept. 2 meeting; the resolution adopted approves the final specifications, form of contract and estimated cost to advance the procurement process. The agenda materials identify the project funding plan as bonding with debt service to be retired by sewer rates and by agreements with industrial customers; the specifics of those agreements and their share of project costs were described in the meeting as still under negotiation.
The council’s action authorizes the city to proceed with bids under the adopted specifications. The procurement schedule on the agenda indicates the city expects to open bids on Oct. 9, 2025, and to consider an award on Oct. 21, 2025, with a final completion date in August 2028.
The project will require later council actions for contract awards and for any financing approvals; staff indicated more precise information on negotiated industrial agreements could be available in the coming weeks.
