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Council approves $320,700 change order after unexpected conditions on WW060 project
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Summary
Council authorized Change Order No. 7 (WW060) with Titan Technologies for $320,700 after staff reported that basalt bedding and tight trench conditions on Snake River Avenue prevented pipe bursting and required excavation and additional work to complete the basin.
The Lewiston City Council on March 23 approved Change Order Number 7 for the wastewater improvement project WW060, authorizing additional work and expense with contractor Titan Technologies.
Public Works Director Dustin Johnson provided an extended history of the contract, explaining the project has evolved since it was awarded in March 2024 and that several previous change orders addressed differing subsurface conditions and scope adjustments. Johnson said that when crews reached the Snake River Avenue segment they encountered unexpected basalt and trench conditions that made the planned pipe-bursting method infeasible: "What looked like happened was they originally constructed that line along Snake River Avenue... it's all basalt," he said, and crews had to excavate instead of pipe bursting. Because the trench, bedding and slope conditions were more complex than anticipated, staff asked the council to approve completing the length of sewer to the CCI connection to avoid recurring work.
The change order request before council was $320,700. Councilors pressed on budget impacts and schedule. Johnson said the city has capital funds set aside for basin-by-basin work, that larger treatment-plant upgrades remain the biggest capital items, and that completing the Snake River segment would allow the contract to be closed and the next basins to be bid. He acknowledged there might be a standard closeout change order afterward to reconcile quantities.
Councilor Wright moved and the motion was seconded; voice vote approved the change order and authorized the mayor to sign.
Why it matters: the approved change order responds to field conditions that changed the construction method and increased cost; staff said completing the segment now would prevent repeat mobilization and future disruptions. The item has implications for project schedule and capital rollouts into FY27.
What to watch: staff follow-up on revised project schedule, final contract closeout amounts, and any impacts to planned basin rollouts or FY27 capital programming.
