Fort Smith approves change to sewer work

FORT SMITH — The city Board of Directors approved four change orders for sewer work under the the city’s consent decree during its meeting Tuesday.

Officials signed a consent decree in 2015 with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice and the state. The city agreed to make an estimated $480 million in repairs and upgrades to its wastewater system over the course of 12 years to clear up chronic violations of the federal Clean Water Act.

On Tuesday, the directors approved a change order with the Poplar Bluff, Mo.-based KAJACS Contractors adding 94 days to the contract time for 634 days for completion of the project and reduced the contract by $379,349 to $9,515,650.

The second accepted the project as complete and authorized a $532,719 final payment to KAJACS.

City Utility Director Lance McAvoy said the project provided for the construction of “P002 and P003 interceptor” necessary to provide more capacity by the consent decree requirements.

“The project was designed to reduce sanitary sewer overflows by increasing the ability to transport inflow and infiltration of groundwater and storm water run-off,” McAvoy said.

Directors also authorized a second change order with the Fort Smith-based Forsgren Inc. for construction of 2016 sanitary sewer assessment remedial measures in Sub-Basin P004, adding 48 days to the contract time for 392 days for completion. They also accepted the project as complete and authorized a $160,384 final payment to Forsgren.

“This project consists of the replacement and rehabilitation of approximately 5,400 linear feet of 8 to 12-inch sewer main, associated manholes and other appurtenances,” McAvoy said. “This project is designed to reduce sanitary sewer overflows by reducing groundwater infiltration and is part of the consent decree requirements.”

McAvoy said the total cost for the project came out to $1,699,040, which is 3.2% less than the originally contract amount, $1,737,071.

To aid in fulfilling the requirements of the consent decree, the city raised its sewer rates by 167% from 2015-17.

Fort Smith announced May 8 the EPA and the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality agreed the city demonstrated its sewer improvement program will be “inordinately expensive” and qualified for five more years of implementation on top of the 12 already set.

They also agreed to grant more flexibility with certain interim deadlines, allowing the city to extend expensive system improvements over the entirety of the remaining schedule.