Columbia County approves $8.89 million change order for Oochie Creek sewer force main

Columbia County officials approved change order No. 1 to the Oochie Creek Sewer Force Main project, adding $8,886,982.72 to the contract to address unanticipated construction issues and storm damage.

A staff presentation said the change order covers a missed air release detail in the original plans, additional fittings after extensive rock was encountered in the alignment, and additional clearing and access costs following last year’s hurricane. “We had 3 chances to review the plans and we just missed it,” the presenter said, describing the air‑release design difference and the resulting under‑construction correction. County staff told the committee they had performed pilot drilling and on‑site reviews while managing costs.

The presenter said the county will fund the change order from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations and that the funds remain available in that account. The motion to approve was moved and seconded and included in the meeting’s consent actions.

The change order amount and ARPA funding were the central points of the brief discussion; no roll‑call vote was recorded in the transcript and no commissioner spoke in opposition during the consent motion. Staff recommended approval and implementation of the corrective work to avoid future operational risks to the sewer system.

Next steps listed by staff included issuing the change order to the contractor and continuing on‑site inspection during the additional work. If further overruns occur, staff said they would return to the board for additional approvals as required.