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Council introduces $987,000 ordinance to replace wastewater sludge thickener; staff warn of year-long lead time
Summary
Council introduced Ordinance 27 to authorize awarding a $987,000 bid from McInnis Brothers Construction to replace a sludge thickener at the city wastewater plant. Engineer Norman Nassif and staff said manufacturing lead time is about one year and the city has been cited for lacking redundancy.
Councilman Harrington introduced Ordinance 27 on July 28, asking the mayor to seek award of a bid to replace a sludge thickener at the City of Natchitoches wastewater treatment plant.
"One bid proposal was received and opened as follows, McInnis Brother Construction in Minden, Louisiana for $987,000 even," Councilman Harrington said when he read the ordinance. He described the item as introduction only; no final award vote was taken at the meeting.
Engineer Norman Nassif, who identified himself during the discussion, told the council that equipment lead times remain long. "Prices are still going up and, everybody's busy," Nassif said, and he estimated it will be about a year before the manufacturer can deliver the unit. He added the new equipment should last decades and that modern stainless-steel construction increases longevity compared with older carbon-steel units.
Tim (city staff) told the council the city currently lacks a working redundant thickener and that the unit now offline has increased sludge-hauling costs because trucks carry wetter material. "We're not able to use it," Tim said, explaining the plant uses only one thickener at present. He also said the Department of Environmental Quality has cited the city for not having the required redundancy.
Council members pressed for clarity on timing and impact. Nassif and staff said they had sought other options but that long lead times and market-wide price increases made prompt replacement advisable.
The ordinance was introduced for consideration; the council did not vote to award the contract at this meeting. Next procedural steps would be formal bid award and any required contract documents before construction and manufacture begin.
What it means: If the city proceeds with McInnis Brothers’ bid and moves forward on schedule, the plant would regain redundancy—reducing sludge-hauling costs and meeting DEQ expectations—but staff warned the actual unit could take about a year to be manufactured and delivered.
