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Thorntown council hears timeline and bidding update on water treatment plant expansion
Summary
Engineers said bids will open Feb. 10 and permitting is under IDEM review; long-lead equipment and OCRA funding release could push the current Dec. 31, 2026 completion date, with a recommendation due at the council's Feb. 16 meeting.
The Town of Thorntown Council on Feb. 2 received a progress report on the Water Treatment Plant expansion from Dan Cutshaw, project engineer with CDS Engineers. Cutshaw said the project is currently out for bids and that the bid opening is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Town Hall.
Cutshaw told the council that about six to seven contractors have picked up plans, a pre-bid conference was held Jan. 27 and an addendum will be issued to address questions raised at that meeting. He said the project is in the permitting stage, with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) having completed an initial review; the permit will undergo a 30-day public notice period and is likely to be issued in roughly 45 days. Because Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) funds are involved, Cutshaw said the town must wait for release of those funds, a process he estimated will take 60–90 days.
"There are a handful of items that are going to require a long ordering process, including pumps, filters, and generators," Cutshaw said, noting that those long-lead items could require extending the project's current Dec. 31, 2026 completion date.
Cutshaw also reported that weather delayed planned well-digging but that work is expected to proceed within the coming month and that Newby Excavating has completed the site work already on contract. He said contractors responding to the bid must submit experience documentation, plans, and equipment details and that the council will be asked at a future meeting to award the contract to the lowest, responsive, and responsible bidder. Cutshaw said he will bring bid results and a recommendation to the Feb. 16 council meeting.
The update provided schedule milestones the town will watch: Feb. 10 bid opening, approximately 30 days of public notice tied to IDEM permitting, roughly 45 days to final permit issuance, then OCRA funding release in about 60–90 days before a notice to proceed can be issued. Council members discussed equipment timeframes and the need to coordinate shop drawings and long-lead items with the contractor schedule.
Next steps: bids will open Feb. 10, CDS Engineers will review submissions and present recommendations to the Town Council at its Feb. 16 meeting, and staff will monitor permitting and OCRA fund release timelines that could affect the contractor notice-to-proceed and the project's final completion date.
