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Committee approves land‑application contract for water‑treatment lime sludge to save costs
Summary
The committee approved Resolution 25‑R‑0057 to award Stewart Spreading, Inc. $387,240 to land‑apply lime sludge from the city water treatment plant, rejecting a higher‑cost landfill alternate; staff said an IEPA permit allows land application and the change smooths budget spikes.
The West Chicago Infrastructure Committee on Aug. 7 approved Resolution 25‑R‑0057 to award Stewart Spreading, Inc. a base‑bid contract of $387,240 for removal and land application of lime sludge from the city’s water‑treatment plant and rejected Alternate Bid No.1, the landfill option.
City staff told the committee the water plant uses a lime‑softening process that generates lime sludge stored in three lagoons. Staff said laboratory testing over recent years shows the sludge qualifies for land application under an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) permit, and that land application would cost about $55.32 per wet ton versus roughly $82.75 per wet ton for landfill disposal on the bids received. Staff estimated the bid covered a conservative quantity of about 7,000 wet tons and said the city expects lower actual tonnage; moisture content could change weight and final cost.
"We have a permit from the IEPA to land apply this material, it meets all the requirements. So we think it's a good idea to go and do a land application process," the staff presenter said. Committee members noted that land application reuses material for agriculture, reduces expense and flattens three‑year budget spikes into an annual cost.
Staff also reported that Synagro was disqualified for failing to acknowledge an addendum required in the bidding process; Stewart Spreading was the lowest responsible bidder among qualified respondents. The staff presentation described liabilities for land application as functionally similar to landfill disposal because manifests or records trace material origin, and observed the city remains responsible for the material under either approach.
A roll call to approve the base bid and reject the landfill alternate recorded Aye votes from Aldermen Beebe, Dimas, Hallett, Morano and Smith; the motion passed.
The contract award starts work to remove and reuse the lime sludge on a more regular schedule, staff said, with the aim of avoiding large budget spikes and allowing annual budgeting for removal.
