Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Suamico awards $572,957 contract to drill permanent Well No. 5, adds 10% contingency
Summary
The Village Board approved a $572,957 contract (plus a 10% contingency) with Midwest Well Services to drill Well No. 5 and perform borehole testing; trustees were told the bid exceeded the engineer estimate and that the vote covers drilling and testing only, with facility and treatment bids to follow.
The Suamico Village Board voted unanimously Monday to award a $572,957 contract to Midwest Well Services to drill a permanent municipal well (Well No. 5) and to add a 10% contingency of $57,295.70, using impact fees as the funding source.
Director Smith told trustees the well bid was the lone response to the March solicitation and exceeded the project estimate of $450,000. He said the shortage of contractors that perform municipal high-capacity well drilling statewide contributed to the higher price, and that the village issued an addendum extending allowable drilling time from 60 to 150 days to increase contractor interest. “We only received 1 bid for the project,” Smith said during his presentation.
Trustees pressed staff on whether the higher drilling price signals cost overruns across the overall water-project budget. Smith and colleagues emphasized the board’s motion covered only drilling and water analysis — not construction of treatment facilities or a tower — and pledged the village would return with updated estimates before bidding the remaining elements. Smith explained some cost risk remains around electrical and treatment components, and that many remaining bids are expected to be released in the fall with firmer numbers by the end of the year.
Trustee Romas moved to approve the contract and Trustee Andrews seconded. The board approved the motion by roll call, with all seven trustees voting “Aye.” The motion authorizes the base contract and the contingency and directs staff to fund the work from the village’s impact-fee balance.
The drilling phase will provide water-quality data and test-well performance needed to compile a full bid package for the treatment facility and any storage option (tower or ground reservoir). Director Smith said that information will inform whether the village proceeds with a tower or a ground storage reservoir depending on costs and treatment needs.
Next steps: staff will execute the drilling contract, complete pilot testing and water analysis, and return to the board with updated design and cost estimates before seeking bids for the treatment facility and storage option.
