Council awards $9.2M contract to rehabilitate Westmoreland pump station

The DeSoto City Council unanimously authorized the city manager March 4 to negotiate and execute a construction contract with CLW Water Group LLC for the rehabilitation of the Westmoreland pump station and approved a total project budget of $10,124,400, including contingency.

Public Utilities Director Brandon Lacey said the pump station, placed in service in 1985, supplies roughly 72 percent of the treated water the city receives from Dallas Water Utilities and had exceeded the useful life of much of its equipment. The city’s consultant, Garver, designed the rehabilitation; a September 2024 bid came in over budget and staff rejected all bids, then value-engineered and rebid the work in January 2025. CLW was the lowest responsive bidder at $9,204,000.

Lacey said construction oversight is included through the consultant and that the estimated construction period is 16 months. Funding for the project is included in Fund 508 and through future bond sale proceeds as programmed in the capital plan. City staff and the consultant confirmed references and recommended awarding to CLW. The contract as approved includes a construction contingency; any change orders above policy levels will return to council for approval.

Councilmembers asked about the contractor’s experience and cost risk; Lacey said Garver had previously worked with CLW on similar projects and that references checked out. He also said the city includes a contingency and construction-oversight services to limit unforeseen change orders. The council approved the contract on a unanimous voice vote.