Council to pay nearly $300,000 for extra work at water treatment plant

The City of Moose Jaw will spend nearly $300,000 for additional engineering work as part of the construction at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant.

The municipality will pay Stantec Consulting Ltd. $275,866.37 plus taxes for four changes for pumps and electrical upgrades in phase 2 of the water supply transmission line project, a city council report explained. Work not included in the original project that city hall has added now includes:

• Replacement of existing pumps and controls, including associated electrical components at the water treatment plant;

• Replacement of the influent line for the northeast reservoir;

• Replacement of the fluoridation system at the plant;

• The creation of a bypass line for flow control valves and flow control meters on influent lines at the High Street and northeast reservoirs

The change order was necessary due to the schedule of Westridge, the general contractor, which spans two construction seasons and expects to complete the project by June 30, 2021.

These additions provide the optimal capacity of the new supply line and further enhance the reliability of the entire system, the report explained. Stantec has provided engineering services for this project since its inception in 2010 and is committed to providing the necessary services to ensure the general contractor completes the project successfully. City administration expects the project to cost $26.8 million.

While the project commenced in 2010, it halted briefly before restarting in 2017, Bevan Harlton, manager of engineering services, explained during city council’s May 11 regular meeting. Since the project restarted, there have been 11 change orders that Stantec has requested. After a brief discussion, council unanimously approved the change order and its accompanying payment.