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Atchison OKs $83,333 contract for valve replacement at water treatment plant
Summary
The commission authorized hiring Mega KC to replace two valves at the water treatment plant using a line-stop freeze procedure, approving $83,333.38 with $2,000 in change-order authority; staff said the valves are seized and threaten the ability to reliably backwash filters.
The Atchison City Commission authorized city staff to hire Mega KC to replace a 16-inch and a 12-inch valve at the municipal water treatment plant and to perform a line-stop freeze to isolate the pipeline during the work.
Clinton McNamee, who presented the item on behalf of city staff, said the commission had previously approved replacing the South Tower booster pump but contractors discovered the valves used to isolate the pump were seized and could not be closed. McNamee described a "line stop freeze" procedure in which a cooling agent is circulated to form an ice plug in the pipe so crews can change the valves without shutting down the system. He said the Mega KC proposal to perform the line-stop freeze and replace the valves totaled $83,333.38 and included the valves and labor for the isolation procedure.
McNamee said the valves' failure affects the city’s ability to use tower head pressure for backwashing filters. "It's not absolutely necessary today. It might be absolutely necessary three weeks from now," McNamee said, urging prompt action. He told commissioners that fund balance is sufficient to cover the expense and that the capital-improvement plan (CIP) will be adjusted to reflect the work.
A commission motion to authorize staff to hire Mega KC for the valve replacements, including a $2,000 change-order authority, was moved and seconded and carried. The quote did not provide a line-item breakdown for valves versus the line-stop isolation; McNamee said the 12-inch valve line item in the quote was $10,003.94 and that the isolation work represented a significant portion of the total (the isolation portion was estimated in discussion at roughly $35,000 of the total). Staff reported no need to replace piping and said the 16-inch pump originally came in under budget.
Why it matters: The valves help isolate the South Tower booster pump, which provides pressure needed for standard filter backwashing. Without operable isolation valves the city lacks redundancy for filter maintenance and risks service or treatment interruptions if a pump or valve fails.
