Plymouth Board of Public Works & Safety approves advertising for bids on Waterworks Improvement Projects

News

This week, Plymouth’s Utility Superintendent, Donnie Davidson updated members of the Board of Public Works and Safety on the Waterworks Improvement Project.

This project included some water main extensions and major renovations to the interior and exterior of the 1-million-gallon water tank behind the Coca-Cola Distribution Center on PIDCO Drive.  Davidson said the plans and specifications for the work are close to completion.

A draft of the advertisement for the work to be completed has been shared with Davidson and Clerk-Treasurer Lynn Gorski.  They made a few corrections to the advertisement and now need the Board of Public Works and Safety’s approval to proceed with the advertisement.

Davidson hopes to get the ad in as soon as possible because he must have a week between the ads.  With the board’s approval, he hopes to have the bids back and ready to open on June 10.

Davidson said, “Once awarded, we are getting further and further back into the summer.  The one concerning part to us is making sure we can get the water tank moving as quickly as possible since we will have to contain the entire tank while the sandblasting is going on and the painting is very weather sensitive.”

The water main work on East Jefferson Street includes abandoning the existing 4 and 6-inch water mains that are prone to break and replacing them with a new 12-inch water main.  This will also improve the water supply for fire suppression with the installation of additional hydrants and better water pressure.

The second water main project addresses the dead-end water lines on South Plum, Gilmore, and Douglas streets.  They date back to the 40s and are a major maintenance issue. This project also replaces a water main resting on the bed of the Yellow River and creates a loop for the water system.        

The total cost estimate presented by Midwestern Engineering is $2,492,270.  The City of Plymouth did receive an OCRA Grant in the amount of $700,000 and the City Water Department will match the grant with $1,792,270 of cash on hand in the current water depreciation fund.