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Oak Ridge expects water treatment plant to begin producing potable water in April under revised schedule
Summary
City staff said contractor Bowen Engineering provided an updated schedule showing continuous potable production from the new water treatment plant beginning April 23, with substantial completion of raw‑water line demolition planned May 6 and final completion targeted Aug. 14; the plant currently uses a temporary feed and the city is planning training and start‑up work.
City water staff (Carrie Aiken) reported progress and an updated contractor schedule for the new water treatment plant.
A letter sent from the city manager and water staff prompted Bowen Engineering to assign additional supervisory staff and produce a revised progress schedule, Aiken said. The updated timeline shows continuous potable production beginning April 23, a May 6 milestone for demolition of the old raw water lines (substantial completion) and final completion aimed for Aug. 14, later than the original February 2025 target but earlier than deeper delay scenarios.
Aiken said crews have completed a "bump" test of the new intake pumps and will conduct process start‑up work with vendor Wiggins, which oversees membrane installation and process controls. "They're showing April 23 as when they begin to have a continuous production of processed water, potable water, from the new water treatment plant," Aiken said.
Council asked whether the hilltop treatment facility and booster station would still be needed; Aiken said the booster station should no longer be required and the city will decide later what to do with the hilltop treatment plant, subject to charter provisions that control disposition of unused facilities.
Why it matters: The new plant replaces an older treatment facility and plans to transfer treatment and pumping operations; the revised schedule impacts when the city can decommission older infrastructure and reduce operational risk.
Next steps: Staff will continue oversight, complete start‑up training with Wiggins, monitor contractor adherence to the new schedule, and report back on substantial and final completion milestones.
