Wauconda board approves lead-line inspection contract, pavement study and two sewer pump purchases

The Village Board of Wauconda on June 15 approved a series of infrastructure contracts and equipment purchases designed to advance water-service inspections, road condition analysis and sanitary-sewer reliability.

Staff recommended and the board approved by unanimous roll-call votes: a contract with National Industrial Maintenance for lead service-line inspections not to exceed $520,000; a change order with HMG Engineers to project-manage the inspection effort not to exceed $78,600; a professional services agreement with HMG Engineers for an updated pavement evaluation for $32,500; purchase of a replacement pump for Lift Station 10 from Xylem Water Solutions for $31,839; and ratification of a sanitary pump purchase from Metropolitan Industries for $28,490.

Why it matters: the lead-line inspection expansion is intended to identify and address potential lead service lines in the village’s water distribution system. The pavement evaluation uses lidar and AI-enabled analysis to build a more comprehensive map of road conditions to guide multi-year capital planning. The pump purchases address recent pump failures at two lift stations that serve Liberty Lake, Orchard Hills and Apple Country subdivisions; staff said one remaining pump can maintain flows temporarily while replacements are delivered.

Staff presentation and timing A staff representative told the board that National Industrial Maintenance previously handled the inspection work and confirmed it can handle an increased workload this year. Staff asked the board to waive competitive bidding because the expanded scope exceeds the original bid by more than 50 percent. Staff said the inspection project is scheduled to start the coming Monday and should last a couple of months.

Project-management and pavement study Staff described the HMG change order as necessary to manage the second half of the inspection project; the change order was capped at $78,600. Separately, staff outlined a $32,500 agreement with HMG to perform a new pavement evaluation using lidar and dash-mounted imaging with AI analysis; staff said the last full evaluation was in 2016 and a limited 2021 review covered about 5–10 percent of roads. When asked how long the study will guide planning, staff estimated roughly five to ten years.

Sewer pumps and sole-source rationale The board also approved two sanitary pump procurements. Staff explained that a pump failure at Lift Station 10 made replacement (rather than repair) the economic choice; Xylem is the local distributor for Flygt pumps, and staff recommended waiving bidding and purchasing a new pump for $31,839. Staff estimated an 8–10 week lead time and said the remaining pumps can sustain flows in the interim. For Lift Station 17, staff said a February failure and a subsequent flange part purchase pushed the total over the emergency procurement threshold; Metropolitan Industries is the local Hydromatic distributor and staff recommended ratifying the $28,490 purchase.

Votes and procedure Each item was brought forward with a staff recommendation and approved by motion, second and roll-call vote. The roll calls recorded affirmative votes from the trustees present; Trustee Stein was recorded absent for the meeting. Where bidding was waived, staff provided operational reasons (sole-source local distributors or contract exceedance) and noted time sensitivity for the pumps.

What happens next Work on the lead service-line inspections is set to begin the coming Monday; staff did not provide a more detailed public timeline for remediation of any lead lines found. The pavement study will commence after the HMG agreement is executed. Replacement pumps will be delivered per vendor lead times and installed by public works staff.

The board took the actions as part of a brief evening agenda and adjourned at approximately 6:18 p.m.