Mount Vernon council authorizes Kokosing CMAR agreement for $46.2 million wastewater upgrade

Mount Vernon—City Council on Oct. 28 authorized the administration to enter a qualifications-based Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) agreement with Kokosing Industrial Inc. to advance design and secure a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the city—s wastewater treatment plant phosphorus and solids improvements project.

Safety Services Director Zalyers, who led the presentation, said the city is at roughly 30% design and needs to move the project forward to meet regulatory and operational needs. "This is one of the most important infrastructure investments Mount Vernon will make over the next decade," Zalyers said, adding the upgrades are necessary to meet state and federal discharge requirements and to add redundancy to aging systems.

Why it matters: Zalyers told council that Ohio EPA phosphorus limits require significant nutrient reductions by 2027 and that the existing facility cannot meet the new standard without upgrades. The improvements would add biological nutrient removal, chemical phosphorus precipitation, upgraded solids-thickening and dewatering equipment, modernized electrical and…