The City of Washington Board of Public Works voted to proceed with the purchase of three variable-frequency drives (VFDs) for the wastewater treatment plant, citing equipment failures and an operational need to integrate replacements with the plant’s SCADA system.

Board members approved the purchase after staff said Van de Venter — the vendor used for SCADA-integrated work — provided a consolidated quote for three units that saved about $1,400 versus buying a single unit now and the others later. Unidentified Speaker 3 requested approval to proceed; an unidentified colleague moved, a second was recorded, and the motion passed by voice vote.

The board also received a status update on a planned sewer slip-lining project on Front Street. Staff reported a base quote from ‘SutraForm’ of $57,000 excluding bypass-pumping and additional heavy cleaning costs. Unidentified Speaker 3 said the vendor omitted bypass pumping in the initial quote and that staff is waiting for the vendor to add that cost; until that additional cost is finalized staff cannot complete the procurement or scheduling for that work.

Why this matters: the VFDs control disc aerators that are central to wastewater treatment operations; delaying replacement risks further equipment failure and potential service impacts. The slip-lining project is intended to avoid full excavation on Front Street but will require an updated total cost before the project can proceed.

Details and context: staff said the three VFDs are failing and that Van de Venter handles SCADA integration. The consolidated purchase reduces the quoted price by approximately $1,400. For the sewer work, the $57,000 figure represents the initial quote without bypass pumping; staff noted that bypass and extra cleaning will make the final price higher but did not provide a final total. The slip-lining contractor’s omission of bypass-pumping costs leaves the exact project budget unresolved.

Next steps: staff will obtain an updated quote including bypass-pumping and return with the revised cost and recommended procurement approach. The board gave authority to proceed with the VFD purchases and instructed staff to place the order.

Quotes: "We've limped them along as long as we can...they have to be replaced," said Unidentified Speaker 3 on the failing VFDs. On the slip lining, Unidentified Speaker 3 noted, "They forgot to add bypass pumping costs on it."