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Stratford WPCA OKs $75,295 radiator repair, $24,164 generator rental for plant backup systems
Summary
The WPCA authorized up to $75,295 to repair a failing backup generator radiator and $24,164.03 to rent temporary generators during the repair. Superintendent Jim Hyde said the repairs are expected to begin after parts arrive (2–3 week lead time) and take about one week on site.
The Town of Stratford Water Pollution Control Authority on Oct. 28 approved two emergency maintenance expenditures for the municipal wastewater plant: up to $75,295 to repair a failing backup‑generator radiator and $24,164.03 to rent temporary generators while the work proceeds.
Plant superintendent Jim Hyde reported that the plant radiator "is seeping and failing." He presented three procurement options: a local contractor’s repair estimate that would have totaled roughly $189,000 with removal and installation, a manufacturer route from England that would cost about $90,000 plus installation (roughly $153,000 total), and a quote from BGR Radiator of Plainfield, Conn., an industrial‑radiator specialist, to disassemble, re‑core and reassemble the unit for a price not to exceed $75,000 with a 50% deposit and a three‑year in‑house warranty. Hyde recommended the BGR quote as the best value.
Hyde asked the board to use $75,295 from contingency and plant maintenance accounts to hire BGR Radiator and to authorize $24,164.03 from the plant maintenance account to rent two 2,000‑kW temporary generators from Sunbelt Rentals to provide power during the repair. A board member moved to approve the radiator repair funding; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The rental motion passed on a separate voice vote.
Board members questioned why the rental price had increased from an earlier $20,000 estimate. Hyde said the vendor’s original quote omitted the cost of the long connection cables needed to tie the generators into the plant substations—about $4,000—and that the omission arose from a clerical error. He said the town plans to have electricians on hand and to use Southern New England Testing to verify safe connections and prevent backfeeds during the temporary hookup.
Hyde provided a tentative schedule: if approved, the plant would issue a purchase order and supply a 50% deposit, with vendor parts on a two‑ to three‑week lead time. Hyde estimated the onsite repair would take about one week; with preparatory work, he expected the overall timeline to be about five weeks, aiming for early December completion. The board recorded no opposing votes on these items during the meeting.
