The Russellville Board of Aldermen has approved St. Louis contractor KCI Construction Company to begin work on the city's wastewater improvement project.
A new treatment plant will be built next to the current three-cell lagoon, which does not treat ammonia up to Missouri Department of Natural Resources standards.
Barlett & West engineer Gary Davis presented Russellville board members Thursday with a letter of recommendation for KCI, the lowest of seven bidders on the project at $2.199 million. The engineers estimated construction would cost the city $2,551,106.50.
In 2014, Russellville residents approved a $2.4 million bond issue for the treatment plant. The city has also acquired a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development low-interest direct loan for $1.35 million, a USDA-RD $830,000 grant and a Community Development Block Grant for $500,000.
The total project costs are $2,946,200, Davis said.
KCI recently completed a $63 million wastewater project in Cape Girardeau, he said.
Bids were opened at a July 11 meeting at the Bartlett & West office in Jefferson City. Approximately 15 individuals attended, including bidders, Russellville city staff and Mid Missouri Regional Planning Commission staff, Davis said.
Engineers previously created a project schedule with a suggested 251-substantial contract with the hired construction company. The contract is set to begin Oct. 14.
The final completion date, which includes finalizing lagoon closure, laying grass and site restoration, is set for Oct. 14, 2020.
Davis proposed construction would be completed by June 20, 2020. The city must complete construction by July 17, 2021, because of an abatement order with DNR.
"Right now the wastewater is scheduled to be flowing through the plant a year ahead of the contract you have with DNR," Davis told the board July 25.
Contractors are the biggest cost of the job, he said. Since the project was below the estimate, USDA-RD issued a new total.
"There's things that come up on every job; many times there's negative change or there are positive changes that happen," Davis said. "The good news is we have $130,000 in contingency. If there's something that comes up along the way from an operation standpoint and you say, 'I'd really like to have that,' and we can run it by the grant agencies, you'll get it because we've got the cushion."
Ideas for using contingency funds include removing sludge from the current lagoon, adding generators, upgrades or other equipment.
USDA-RD is expected to reimburse Russellville $29,000 for additional expenses.