The Hollister City Council authorized bidding Thursday for a
nearly $3 million construction contract for Phases 1 and 2 of the
four-phase Long-term Wastewater Management Plan.
The Hollister City Council authorized bidding Thursday for a nearly $3 million construction contract for Phases 1 and 2 of the four-phase Long-term Wastewater Management Plan.
Phase 1 is a new headworks system at the domestic wastewater treatment plant to more accurately measure sewage flow.
Phase 2 is the interim Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project that features upgrades to the treatment facility that will improve sewage filtering and reduce suspended solids.
The estimated cost for the contract is $2.65 million.
According to City Manager George Lewis, the state’s Regional Water Quality Control Board mandated reduction of suspended solids from 100 parts per million to 60 ppm by Aug. 1.
“We need to absolutely, positively meet the requirements of the Regional Water Quality Control Board,” Public Works Director Clint Quilter said.
The RWQCB mandated the two projects as part of its Administrative Civil Liabilities action against Hollister Nov. 1. The contract, scheduled to be awarded by March 3, will involve responsibility for construction of both Phases 1 and 2.
The deadlines for the project are not subject to fines from the state water board, Lewis said.
“But in order to maintain credibility (with the RWQCB), we’ve got to do it. We should be in good shape to have the contract awarded by March 3,” he said.
Five more upcoming deadlines of the LTWWMP are subject to fines of up to $300,000 because of the 15-million gallon sewage spill May 4 at the wastewater treatment plant.
Hollister met the first deadline of Jan. 1 by completing two emergency seasonal storage basins designed for added capacity in the case of potential flooding.
“This will be moving toward the next step,” Lewis said. “We see no reason why we shouldn’t be in compliance with these.”
The LTWWMP, scheduled for completion in October 2005, is estimated at $18.5 million. However, that cost will likely change because of established expectations for the city to eliminate plans on Phase 4 – a wetlands – because of environmental concerns expressed by several local agencies. If the city passes on the wetlands, officials have not decided on a potential alternative.
HydroScience Engineers – the firm that designed the LTWWMP – prepared project plans for the bidding. If the unfinished environmental review yields necessity for design changes within the plan, the cost of the contract will change accordingly.
