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Pocomoke City council approves compressor and pump purchases for wastewater system, OKs emergency repair payment
Summary
The Pocomoke City Mayor and Council authorized replacing an aging air compressor at the wastewater treatment plant, approved several pump replacements at city lift stations, and authorized payment for an emergency pump repair at a cost of $6,794.77.
Pocomoke City’s mayor and council on Aug. 4 authorized purchases and payments intended to address equipment failures and reliability concerns at the city wastewater treatment plant and several lift stations.
Council members voted to approve replacing the treatment plant’s roughly 15-year-old air compressor, to buy new pumps for multiple lift stations, and to pay an emergency repair bill to a vendor that had restored a standby pump.
The council approved the purchases after staff said an airflow study found “insufficient air supplies reaching the sand filters,” which could reduce treatment efficiency. City staff told the council the lead time for the replacement compressor is about 16 weeks; staff recommended buying a package that includes installation, warranty and local service rather than a lower-priced unit that would not include delivery or installation.
According to staff figures presented at the meeting, the vendor Cummins quoted $34,390 for a compressor package that includes installation, warranty and local service. A competing price from a vendor listed as “Tate” totaled about $24,978 but excluded installation and delivery; Dominion Air & Machinery Co. quoted $31,143 and also excluded installation and delivery. The council approved the Cummins package.
Council members also approved replacing pumps at Woodlawn Manor and Jenkins Orchard lift stations. Staff said they reviewed repair-versus-replace options with the assistant superintendent and public works director and recommended full replacement to avoid exceeding budgeted costs over time. Staff estimated typical pump life expectancy at five to 10 years but said failures can occur sooner.
The council approved a specific replacement cost presented for one pump at Woodlawn of $13,009 (as presented by staff) and noted a repair cost estimate for certain units of roughly $9,003.60. For the Jenkins Orchard lift station, staff presented a lower replacement cost (details given in the packet). The council also approved a separate payment request of $6,794.77 to Fremont Associates for emergency repair work on a low-flow pump; staff said that repaired unit will serve as a spare in case another pump fails.
All motions on the wastewater items were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote during the meeting.
The council discussion included procedural and budgetary clarifications but no conditions limiting the purchases. Staff said the preferred vendors would provide installation and local service support. The council did not identify alternative funding sources during the discussion; staff indicated these purchases were within existing budget authority or previously approved allocations.
The approvals are intended to restore and maintain redundancy at lift stations and to address the airflow issue at the treatment plant. Staff said the compressor lead time means the city expects installation later this year; no firm installation date was announced at the meeting.
