County awards $3.23 million contract to inspect three water storage tanks

Carroll County commissioners voted to award a competitively bid contract to Johnson, Marmurean & Thompson Inc. (JMT) to perform professional inspections and evaluations of the Bark Hill, Linton and March water storage tanks.

County procurement staff told the board the award amount is $3,230,243 and that the work is within the adopted budget. The inspections will include wet- and dry-interior assessments, exterior rigging inspections, accessory and foundation reviews, ultrasonic wall-thickness readings and paint sampling. Staff said the wet interiors will be inspected using a remote-operated vehicle to maintain sanitation and safety.

Officials described each tank’s capacity and service area: Bark Hill (100,000 gallons) serves the Bark Hill community and Francis Scott Key High School; Linton (approximately 500,000 gallons) is adjacent to Century High School and serves a high-elevation zone; March (about 1,000,000 gallons) serves a lower-elevation area in the Freedom service area. Findings from the inspections will be used to scope and prioritize future rehabilitation projects.

A motion to award the contract was made and seconded, and the board approved the contract by unanimous vote. Staff said the tanks are on a typical 3–5 year inspection cycle and that daily visual checks occur between formal inspections.

At one point during the meeting the motion language misstated a lower amount; the procurement presentation earlier in the agenda established the award amount at $3,230,243.