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Good Thunder council awards contract for phosphorus-removal system after exceedance
Summary
City staff told the council Good Thunder exceeded its MPCA phosphorus limit by about 20 kilograms last year; the council voted to award a contract to Ruben Construction to install a permanent ferric chloride storage-and-feed system to reduce future discharges. The low bid was $73,900 (including a $10,000 allowance).
The Good Thunder City Council voted to award a contract to Ruben Construction for a permanent chemical feed system to reduce phosphorus discharges into the Maple River after staff said the city exceeded its Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) discharge allowance by roughly 20 kilograms last year.
Joe, the staff presenter, told the council the city’s samples showed it was “about 20 kilograms over our limits” and described a bid package to install a 1,000-gallon storage tank, pump and transfer equipment to dose ferric chloride at the transfer station between the primary and secondary ponds. He said the system is intended as a durable, safer alternative to ad hoc boat dosing and that treatment typically reduces phosphorus in discharge by about half when applied to the discharge stream.
Council materials show three responsive bids. Joe said Ruben Construction of Tyler, Minnesota, was the apparent low bidder at $73,900; Web Construction returned a bid near $804,120 and KHC Construction bid about $97,000. The staff packet and Joe’s presentation noted the line-item bids include a $10,000 general construction allowance for unforeseen issues; the city’s engineer estimate with allowance was $53,800. Joe recommended awarding to Ruben Construction as the low, responsive bid.
Council members asked about timing and whether delaying work would reduce costs; staff said the contractors indicated prices would likely increase slightly if the schedule slipped. The contract includes a Sept. 15 completion date tied to the fall discharge period, and staff said they will follow up with the selected contractor on schedule details.
During discussion, council and staff also described ongoing efforts to locate the source(s) of excess water and phosphorus, including televising suspect tile lines and verifying whether field drainage or backyard footing drains are contributing to inflow. The council approved the award by voice vote.
The next steps are finalizing the contract with Ruben Construction, scheduling pre-construction coordination, and completing televising and field investigations in parallel to reduce recurring inflow. The packet materials noted the city may deduct the $10,000 allowance from the bid if it is not needed.
