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Iowa City to seek bids for $3.5 million Collector Well No.1 rehabilitation
Summary
City water staff described a project to rehabilitate Collector Well No.1 — repairing laterals, installing pumps and modifying the well house — with an estimated cost of $3.5 million and a February bid schedule to restore the well’s production and prepare for effluent reuse.
Iowa City water staff told the City Council on Jan. 6 that the city will solicit bids for a comprehensive rehabilitation of Collector Well No. 1, a key component of the city's riverbank filtration system.
Project scope and purpose: John with Iowa City Water described the well as a 16-foot-diameter caisson sunk roughly 50 feet into an alluvial aquifer serving as a pre-filter for the treatment plant. The work scope for the first bid package includes modifying the well house for better confined-space access, abandoning a lateral that no longer functions, rehabilitating two other laterals, installing two new laterals, pump testing, sizing new pumps and repairing trails and pedestrian impacts during construction. The project is intended to restore production and extend the life of the well.
Cost and schedule: Staff estimated the cost for this bid package at about $3.5 million, with bid letting in February and award targeted for Feb. 17. Construction timing is expected to be extended because there are few contractors with this specialty work; staff said they plan for flexibility to secure subcontractors who perform lateral rehabilitation.
Technical context: Collector wells provide filtration through riverbank alluvium and help reduce dissolved organic carbon before water enters treatment. John said Collector Well No. 1 “is basically not functioning” and has been maintained partly by daily pump runs. The work follows multi-year study of hydrogeologic profiles and life-cycle cost analysis indicating rehabilitation is the most cost-effective option.
Council action: After staff questions and public hearing, the council voted to authorize the project manual and send the work to bid; the motion passed unanimously.
Next steps: Staff will proceed with the bid package, perform pump testing and proceed with rehabilitation work on an extended schedule once a contractor is selected.
