Council approves $99,461 change order after emergency wastewater wet‑well cleaning

Newton City Council on May 17 approved a $99,461 change order to Stanley Environmental after an emergency cleaning at the city wastewater treatment plant exposed additional work needed to isolate and clean the wet well and bar screen area.

Public Works and Utilities Director Dusty Wentz told council crews initially set up one bypass pumping operation to divert flow around the bar screen area. When the water level in the wet well continued to rise, staff and the contractor expanded the bypass pumping scope, added plugs and piping, extended the pumping duration and performed additional cleaning of the upstream 42‑inch pipe. "The contractor submitted a change order in the amount of $99,461 for this additional work," the transcript records.

Wentz said the expanded work allowed crews to isolate the wet well and complete the intended cleaning. He reported the underlying cause was debris from the bar screen area that had obstructed a gate designed to seal off flow into the wet well; after cleaning the gate appears to be operating as intended. Wentz told council the total cost for the project is $158,561 and staff agreed the change order was justified under emergency conditions to avoid further delay and cost increases.

Council voted unanimously to approve the change order and a related budget ordinance amendment. The motions were made and seconded during the meeting; the vote was recorded as unanimous among the six members present.

Council did not identify additional planned work at the wet well at this meeting. The city clerk’s office holds the ordinances and resolutions referenced in the meeting record.