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New water director flags quality-control and schedule concerns at treatment-plant project
Summary
Carrie Aiken, the city's water director, reported extensive quality-control and supervision problems at the water treatment plant construction site after a site review with Bowen Engineering, said a number of installations require rework, and expects a contractor response and a punch list within roughly 10 business days.
Oak Ridge's recently appointed water department director, Carrie Aiken, told the City Council that construction quality and supervision issues at the city's new water treatment plant are causing schedule risk and will require corrective work.
Aiken said she asked Doug Bowen of Bowen Engineering to tour the site; the two- and four-person site review that day examined intake equipment, piping and membrane train installations and identified items that had not been done to plan. "There was a lack of supervision and just quality issues and project scheduling delays," Aiken said, describing contractors' apparent failure to follow the resident inspector's recommendations. She told the council Bowen Engineering acknowledged the issues and agreed to work with the city on punch-list items.
Aiken reported the project schedule currently shows final completion on June 8 (date as shown in the contractor schedule) and said the city requested Bowen work with subcontractors to increase on-site staffing and production. She said the contractor did not give an exact timeline for its response but the city expects an update within roughly 10 business days.
Council members pressed Aiken on accountability, warranty and acceptance procedures. Aiken and staff said responsibility for defects depends on contract provisions and the item in question, but the city will require documentation, commissioning and appropriate warranty protections before releasing bonds. "When all the fleas on the dog are fixed ... who is responsible in the end for that work successfully? Is it Bowen? Is it the city? Is it some subcontractor?" a council member asked; Aiken said Bowen and other contracted parties will be involved in warranty and commissioning processes and that the city's engineer will help document and verify readiness prior to bond release.
City staff said Jacobs (the engineering firm) will assist with commissioning and the city has a resident inspector documenting issues. Council members asked for regular monthly updates; Aiken and staff agreed to provide follow-up reports and to escalate concerns if contractor responses fall short.
