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Atchison approves $2.323 million contract to replace collapsed South Headworks outfall pipe required by KDHE
Summary
The Atchison City Commission voted Sept. 2 to award a $2,323,822 contract (plus $25,000 change-order authority) to Mega KC to replace a collapsed South Headworks combined-sewer outfall pipe required under the city's KDHE consent agreement.
The Atchison City Commission authorized city staff Sept. 2 to hire Mega KC to replace a collapsed combined-sewer overflow (CSO) outfall pipe at the South Headworks facility for $2,323,822, including $25,000 in change-order authority.
Clinton McNamee, a city utilities presenter, told the commission the existing 30-inch pipe under the railroad tracks and riverbank has largely collapsed and must be fixed as part of the city's long-term CSO control plan and its consent agreement with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).
"The pipe is almost completely collapsed... when we do have CSO events, the water surcharges, it can't go through this pipe," McNamee said, describing discharges to ground at the site and the environmental and infrastructure risk near the railroad tracks.
Staff said an earlier engineering estimate placed the project near $1.4 million, but bids returned much higher; the lowest responsive bid from Mega KC totaled about $2.3 million. McNamee and staff recommended awarding the contract to avoid further delays and to preserve and leverage federal grant and partnership funding, including an EPA-administered grant of about $777,000 and potential U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-funded work allied to the city's separation projects.
Commission discussion and decision
Commissioners questioned bid line-item disparities (for example, in mobilization and grout costs) and whether rebidding would yield lower prices. City staff said rebidding was unlikely to produce substantially better results, given limited contractor competition and project unknowns tied to working next to active railroad tracks and constrained staging areas.
The mayor called for a motion to authorize staff to hire Mega KC for $2,323,822 with $25,000 in change order authority. After a second, the motion carried on a voice vote; no opposition was recorded in the meeting minutes.
Project context and funding
- Regulatory: The replacement is a KDHE-required item in the city's long-term control plan for combined sewers.
- Grants and partnerships: Staff said KDHE received extensions for EPA grant funds tied to this work, and the city has been coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on separate sewer-separation work where city expenditures can count toward local matching requirements for Corps partnership funds.
- Scope/technical: The replacement will use ductile-iron and reinforced-concrete pipe sections; the contract includes filling the old line with grout to avoid subsidence under nearby infrastructure.
What the vote does and does not do
The commission vote authorizes the contract award and change-order authority; it does not change the regulatory requirements from KDHE. Staff said timely award preserves eligibility for federal and matching funds that would help advance the city's broader CSO separation efforts.
Ending: Staff will proceed with contract administration and coordinate needed permits and railroad accommodations; the city will continue negotiations with KDHE and federal partners on the sequence and funding of remaining CSO separation work.
