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Newport council awards $587,555 contract to fix Gardener Park sewer siphon amid contamination concerns
Summary
The Newport City Council voted April 6 to award a $587,555 contract to Isaac's Excavation and Construction LLC to add a second sewer siphon under the Clyde River and line park sewer mains. Officials described arsenic in soil and groundwater that raised bid costs and outlined funding from ARPA and state clean‑water sources.
Newport — The Newport City Council voted April 6 to award a $587,555 contract to Isaac's Excavation and Construction LLC to construct a second sewer siphon under the Clyde River and rehabilitate aging sewer lines through Gardener Park.
Public Works Director Tom Bernier told the council the existing single‑barrel siphon, installed in 1963, does not meet modern standards and has clogged in the past. The project will add a new directional‑drilled 8‑inch siphon, install two manholes on the softball field, and cure‑in‑place line the asbestos‑cement gravity pipes under the park to avoid disruptive excavation.
"We're looking to bring this up to current standards," said Nate, the project presenter, describing the plan to install the second siphon by directional drill and then slip‑line the existing gravity runs with cured‑in‑place pipe so most work avoids major digging.
Why it matters: Bernier and city staff said the work reduces the risk of repeated siphon failures that could cause sewer backups and protects a heavily used park area from repeated excavation. Bids opened last week and came in higher than the engineer's estimate after bidders accounted for soil and groundwater remediation at the project site.
Nate and Bernier said adverse soil and groundwater conditions — including elevated arsenic levels — required contingency measures for excavation and water treatment that pushed costs higher. "The primary contaminant is arsenic in the soil," Bernier said; contractors will test, store and properly dispose of excavated soils, and use on‑site tanks with carbon filtration to treat groundwater before overland discharge, the council heard.
Council members discussed funding options before the vote. City staff said the city has roughly $650,000 remaining from an earlier ARPA award, and additional subsidy from the state's Clean Water SRF and related reimbursements (about $140,000 in previously eligible loans were identified as potential subsidy) could narrow the shortfall. Bernier and Nate said staff believe the combination of ARPA funds, CSO/ARMOR grant funds and state subsidies can cover the project without an immediate sewer‑rate increase, but cautioned the council they would return if the funding picture changed.
The council voted to accept Isaac's Excavation and Construction LLC as the apparent low bidder and award the contract for $587,555. Mayor Rick Chase and councilors moved and seconded the motion; the vote carried by voice.
Next steps: City staff will finalize contract signatures and coordinate soils testing and groundwater treatment plans required by the approved mitigation approach. Officials said construction timing favors spring work to avoid the park's busy summer season.
Speakers quoted: Tom Bernier, director of public works; Nate, project presenter; Mayor Rick Chase.
Provenance: Council discussion and vote on the Gardener Park siphon and sewer lining (presentations, funding discussion, contamination mitigation and contract award) are documented in the meeting record beginning with the agenda item introduction (SEG 823) through contract award and closing remarks (SEG 1142).
