Walker signs $16,000 contract to improve water system

Nevada Daily Mail

To bring its water system into compliance with the Department of Natural Resources, Walker's Board of Aldermen voted 4-0 to sign a contract with Bartlett and West to design and supervise construction of a new clear well for $16,900.

"We would write a brief report to DNR explaining what we we're doing and the need for the clear well," Bartlett and West engineer Mike Logston said at the board's meeting Tuesday. "Then we would prepare the construction plans and technical specifications for the construction and project manuals which include the technical specifications and contract documents for advertising and hiring contractors."

Once the plans have been completed, Bartlett and West would meet with the aldermen again for final approval.

"If everything appeared to be in order, then we would submit the plans to DNR for their review," Logston said. "Once they reviewed and approved the plans, then we would assist you with preparing the bidding documents and conduct a bid opening. We would prepare the notice of award for the contractor. Once the contract was awarded, the contractor would then submit his information on materials that would be used for our review."

Someone with the city would oversee the construction. Once the work is completed, Bartlett and West will do a final inspection and prepare the record drawings, as built drawings, and then turn in a certificate to DNR showing the work had been completed to specifications.

Longstreth said work to design the clear well would begin right away so that as soon as weather cleared construction could begin.

"We should be able to complete the whole project for under $50,000," city employee William Jeffery said. "We also have to move a water main to the south. We can't have the tank on top of an existing water line. It's a 4-inch line, but it needs to be upgraded to a 6-inch line."

Jeffery said an altitude valve, which regulates the pressure to high service pumps, will also need to be installed.

Logston suggested a pressure transducer rather than an altitude valve and said the changes could be easily entered into the plans. He then explained DNR's small borrower loan program.

"It's 2 percent interest," he said. "You can borrow up to $100,000. They typically will not make any commitments until they get plans and specifications and they know it's going to be a viable project. Once you start construction, you'll submit your bills to DNR and they'll release the funds to you."

In other business, Jeffery brought up a problem with the water tower's feed line. The water tower only has one line and DNR prefers towers to have one line in and one line out.

"When we're chlorinating our water, it's supposed to go to the tower first and then out to the consumers," Jeffery said. "But we're actually feeding to our service and the tower, so if the tower is full or close to full and somebody is using a lot of water at the same time, we're sending out the water before it goes into the tower."