Sedona council approves $748,744 contract to rehab wastewater clarifiers
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Summary
The council unanimously approved a construction contract with FAN Environmental LLC not to exceed $748,744 to rehabilitate clarifiers at the wastewater reclamation plant after a 2024 motor failure left one clarifier offline, restoring redundancy and permit compliance.
The Sedona City Council voted unanimously March 24 to award a construction contract to FAN Environmental LLC for the Wastewater Reclamation Plant (WWRP) Secondary Clarifier Rehabilitation Project, not to exceed $748,744, subject to city attorney approval.
Dan Thurston, the city's wastewater project manager, told council the plant has three clarifiers; clarifier 2 has been offline since a 2024 drive-motor failure that also damaged some mechanical components. Staff said the plant is designed to operate with two clarifiers in service for peak flows, and the loss of redundancy risks the city’s ability to maintain permit requirements during high-flow events.
Thurston described the rehab scope as replacement of the clarifier mechanisms, drive motors and scum pumps and said staff worked with Westech Engineering to specify equipment that fits existing structures. Bids opened Feb. 25; staff received three bids and deemed FAN Environmental the lowest qualified bidder after procurement and wastewater staff reviews. Thurston said FAN had prior local experience and that a past FAN project had change orders equal to about 1% of the project value.
Council members questioned bid discrepancies and schedule risks during review. Staff said they validated FAN’s estimate, met with their project management team, and found independent estimating teams arrived at similar numbers. On schedule, staff indicated a 480-calendar-day contract with about 60 days for shop-drawing review and an anticipated start of equipment installation in March 2027, with completion expected by mid-2027 under a conservative timeline; staff said they would carry unobligated balances into FY28 if deliveries delayed beyond the July fiscal cutoff.
A councilor moved to approve the contract and the motion passed unanimously. The contract award restores a second clarifier, reestablishing redundancy intended to preserve treatment capacity and permit compliance during peak flows and storm-related inflow events.
The next step is final contract review and approval by the city attorney’s office; staff will return with executed contract documents and scheduling details for construction milestones.