West Yellowstone council hears wastewater plant progress; Forsgren outlines winter‑shutdown option to speed startup

Camille of Forsgren and Associates updated the West Yellowstone council on construction progress for the town’s new wastewater treatment plant, telling the board, “We have 548 days per contract to substantial completion,” and that the plant is already being fed by the town’s sewer while finishing work continues.

The presentation laid out schedule and cost markers: the contractor has expended about 70% of scheduled contract days with roughly 139 days remaining to reach substantial completion; payments to RCI totaled about $20.8 million through the end of October. Camille said change orders have been minimal — about 0.3% of contract value — which she described as strong scope control.

Forsgren’s field observations described substantial field progress: excavation and backfill are complete, yard piping is roughly 90% done with tie‑ins remaining, concrete work is essentially finished (about 99%), and metal building work and interior piping remain. The project team emphasized that much of the remaining work is interior equipment and basin piping that can be completed once the building is dried in.

David of Forsgren warned that tie‑ins — the connections that move flows from existing lines into the new plant — cannot be completed while two feet of snow remain on the ground, because the freezing and wet conditions would compromise the work. To limit the calendar impact of an anticipated winter shutdown, Forsgren outlined a possible compromise: if the contractor requests a contract shutdown triggered by heavy snow, the town could permit an “abbreviated crew” to work inside the building (piping, electrical, HVAC) while Forsgren performs periodic on‑site observation one to two days per week. That arrangement, Forsgren said, would count those observation days against the contractor’s contract days but could shift a worst‑case completion from August back into late May or early June.

On testing and transition to operations, Forsgren clarified that dry testing and performance testing occur before substantial completion. Once the plant runs and the flow is switched from aerated lagoons to the treatment plant, an additional period follows for performance monitoring; the contract has a 30‑day window to reach final completion (punch list) and a one‑year warranty for equipment callbacks.

Council members pressed staff on supervision and costs during a winter plan. Presenters said temporary heat (for example, contractor‑provided propane) would be the contractor’s expense under the proposed arrangement and that Forsgren’s observation role is to confirm contract compliance — not to direct contractor employees. The town has also contracted a SCADA integrator (IMEC) for automation and system controls to reduce the need for constant plant‑staff oversight.

RCI’s on‑site project manager addressed conduct and staffing issues with subcontractors and said the contractor is not requesting additional time or money for winter interior work. He said the contractor is prepared to accept the risk of rework if interior winter installations later require correction.

The update closed with staff and council noting that the overall project is close to the key milestone of having the plant run, but that weather and the required external tie‑ins remain the primary schedule risks. Forsgren said the town will bring any formal request for an abbreviated‑crew winter waiver back to the council for consideration.