Belvidere council approves emergency repairs to Well No. 10, waives bidding and committee referral

Lede: The Belvidere City Council on May 5 approved emergency repairs to Well No. 10 after the city’s public works director reported a failed check valve, corroded column pipe and worn pump components that required immediate replacement.

Nut graf: Director Anderson told the council the pump assembly for Well No. 10 — a high‑volume northside well that has been in service about 10 years — showed holes in the column pipe and worn bearings and bowls. With two other wells offline, the director recommended installing a temporary 6‑inch pump to provide roughly 1 million gallons a day while ordering a permanent assembly; the council approved an emergency package and funding to restore the well.

Body: Director Anderson summarized a memo in the meeting packet describing the failure discovered after Quoy Pump Service pulled the pump assembly for inspection. “We had a check valve that broke on Well No. 10 on Wednesday, April 23,” Anderson said, adding that the column pipe showed deterioration at thread joints. Anderson recommended replacing the column pipe, motor, pump and wiring and installing a temporary pump while the permanent parts (with a three‑to‑four week lead time) are delivered.

To accelerate the work, the council adopted three motions. First, on a motion by Alderman Peterson and seconded by Alderwoman Frank, the council waived the usual referral to committee so staff could proceed immediately; the motion passed by roll call, 10–0. Second, the council voted to waive competitive bidding under section 2‑700 (motion by Alderman Hues, second by Alderman Peterson); that motion passed 11–0, with Mayor Clinton Morris voting as permitted. Third, on a motion by Alderman Peterson, seconded by Alderman McGee, the council approved the emergency repair work with Quoy Pump Service in an amount not to exceed $189,925. That final motion passed by roll call, 10–0.

The council approved paying for the work from the water depreciation account (account 611780), which was presented in the packet as having a balance of $1,147,734. The memo cited two one‑time costs not to exceed $15,000 each (pump pulling and temporary pump installation for the first 30 days) and estimated the permanent pump assembly, removal of the temporary pump and installation at up to $159,925; the approved not‑to‑exceed total for the package was $189,925.

The council and staff noted system capacity concerns while wells 3 and 4 remain offline and Well 11 is still under construction. Anderson said the Strand plan and the upcoming Well 11 would add capacity but that the system is more vulnerable when fewer wells are in service.

Ending: The council’s motions allow crews to proceed immediately; staff said work could be complete once parts arrive and installation is scheduled. No further hearings were scheduled on the repair package.