New York Mills approves $646,000 design contract and $44,500 lead-service-line work for water upgrades

The New York Mills City Council on Jan. 13 approved two engineering task orders that move the city closer to replacing its water treatment plant and removing lead or galvanized service lines.

Apex Engineering representative Michael Weber told the council that preliminary design activities and a Basis of Design Report for the water treatment facility and well improvements are complete and that Well No. 5 shows very low iron levels. Weber outlined a tight schedule tied to program funding: design documents and the funding application must be submitted by March 31, 2026, with a 60% design review targeted for Feb. 24 and 90% review by March 23; submission to the Minnesota Department of Health was scheduled for March 27, 2026, and a bid opening was tentatively set for June 2, 2026.

Councilor Hammond moved to approve Task Order No. 9 to authorize final design and bidding work for the Water Treatment Facility & Well Improvements, with an estimated design and bidding total of $646,000; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. The council also approved Task Order No. 10, authorizing Apex to provide engineering services for New York Mills’ 2026 Lead Service Line Replacement Project at an estimated cost of $44,500. Weber said the state’s Intended Use Plan includes funding (a mix of grant and 0% loan with possible loan forgiveness), and that project certification requires a March 31 submission.

The approvals authorize the city to move into final design and prepare bid-ready documents; the next steps are completion of the 60% and 90% design reviews and submission for state and health-department certification. If the city secures the anticipated funding, construction is planned for summer 2026.