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Montgomery County approves water plant improvement project, awards construction contract
Summary
The board approved a project ordinance and awarded a construction contract for water plant improvements; commissioners said the work will extend the plant’s useful life and will be paid from county savings and other sources rather than new borrowing or immediate rate increases.
Montgomery County commissioners voted to approve a project ordinance for water plant improvements and to award the construction contract at their Feb. 2025 meeting.
County staff said the project combines building repairs and process upgrades at the county water plant, which is roughly 40 years old. The manager told the board the plant is critical infrastructure: “This is the most critical piece of public infrastructure we have in the county; without it all our towns would be without water,” the County Manager said.
The county advertised the project for bids twice and received a single bid on the second solicitation. Staff performed value engineering to reduce costs before recommending award. The contractor named in the agenda packet and read aloud at the meeting is Darren Cove Incorporated. The agenda included a larger project budget than the contract award to provide contingency funds for unknown conditions in an older facility.
Funding and rates: the manager said the project will not be financed through new borrowing and will not directly increase ratepayers’ operating bills; instead the county will use savings and other internal sources to pay for the work. Commissioners emphasized that replacing and repairing critical plant components is necessary to avoid higher operating costs or emergency outages.
Board action: a motion to approve the project ordinance and the resolution to award the construction contract was made and seconded; the board voted “Aye” and approved the measures.
Why it matters: the plant serves the county system and municipal users; investment is intended to extend the facility’s useful life and address aging equipment, a point auditors also noted when discussing capital‑asset condition during the audit presentation.
Next steps: staff will execute the contract with the awarded contractor and begin the project planning and scheduling process. The agenda packet contains the project ordinance and contract documents; commissioners asked staff to monitor contingency use and report significant changes to scope or cost back to the board.
