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Contractor reimbursed after contaminated soil found on Smith Street water‑main project
Summary
Contractors excavated about 2,020 tons of petroleum‑contaminated soil at Smith Street and Central Avenue during the 2025 water main replacement. The city approved change order 4 for $98,646.56 to reimburse contractor labor and equipment; earlier change orders included $75,845 and $230,591 for materials and disposal.
The Kent City Council Committee of the Whole on Tuesday authorized a $98,646.56 change order to reimburse contractor labor and equipment after crews encountered petroleum‑contaminated soil while installing water main at Smith Street and Central Avenue.
Josh Harris, capital project manager, said the 2025 water‑main improvements replaced about 1,800 linear feet of 12‑inch and 8‑inch pipe across three project areas. During trenching at the Smith and Central site, crews detected a strong petroleum odor; an environmental testing firm confirmed high levels of petroleum products in the soil. "There was nothing to our water supply," Harris told the committee, describing how crews removed and stockpiled contaminated material on plastic, used nitrile gaskets and sleeves to protect installed pipe bells, and continued work after containment measures.
Harris said the contractor excavated approximately 2,020 tons of contaminated soil and disposed of it at a certified facility. The contamination work prompted several change orders: change order 2 (about $75,845) for nitrile gaskets and related work, change order 3 (about $230,591) for soil disposal, and change order 4 (the $98,646.56 reimbursement approved Tuesday) for contractor labor and equipment costs.
Council members asked about the contamination source; Harris said investigators are looking into a historical spill from roughly two decades earlier and that groundwater may have spread contamination beyond the immediate trench area. He said staff will pursue cost recovery if they can identify a responsible party and that future projects in the area will include pre‑construction soil testing.
Provenance: Project and contamination briefing SEG 871: "Josh Harris. I'm capital project manager..."; motion and vote SEG 981–994 (authorization of change order 4).
