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Select Board hears contractor claim and design alternatives for Central Street pump station force main
Summary
Underwood Engineers updated the Select Board on the Central Street Pump Station and Force Main project after the contractor halted directional drilling because of unexpected subsurface obstructions. The contractor submitted a $370,000 claim (which includes $191,116.67 already paid); engineers offered alternative designs while noting NHDES approvals are required.
The Bristol Select Board on June 11 heard an update from Underwood Engineers on the Central Street Pump Station and Force Main project after the contractor encountered unexpected subsurface obstructions during directional drilling.
Steve Smith, Underwood Engineers senior technical leader, said the contractor demobilized the drilling crew after reporting underground obstructions and has submitted a formal claim for approximately $370,000 for costs incurred to date. Smith confirmed the claim includes amounts already paid; the town has paid $191,116.67 so far for the force main portion (including $25,000 for exploratory test pits, $30,000 for traffic management, $52,000 for erosion control, and $84,000 previously referenced).
Smith said the original contract for the pump station and force main totaled roughly $2,740,000; four change orders totaling about $47,000 have raised the contract to approximately $2,790,000. He estimated the remaining project contingency is about $150,000.
John Miller pressed engineers about how the proposed design changes — which could include reduced burial depth and an air release structure — might affect performance guarantees and equipment longevity. Smith said Underwood developed an alternative layout that addresses many contractor concerns while still aiming to meet New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services requirements. He noted the original design intentionally avoided air release structures by maintaining continuously rising profiles to reduce future maintenance.
Smith told the Board Underwood does not agree with all elements of the contractor’s cost submission and that any revised design would still need regulatory approval. Board members raised concerns about balancing short-term contractor costs against long-term reliability and maintenance needs and expressed interest in attending upcoming negotiations with the contractor.
No formal action was taken. The Board said it will continue to monitor Underwood’s review of the claim, any proposed design revisions, and negotiations about cost responsibility and a path forward for completing the force main.
