Common Council approves an additional $300,000 for electrical issues
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
Another item on the list of unexpected issues linked to the extensive revamp of Whitewater’s 34-year-old wastewater treatment facility has cropped up and will increase the cost by nearly $300,000.
The Common Council on June 21 approved a change order — the third since the initial budget for the project was adopted.
The latest amendment to the scope of the project involved utility provider We Energies, and the changes carry a $295,288 price tag.
“Per project design, we were to maintain our existing switchgear and feed the plant via a new transformer installed by We Energies,” Assistant City Manager Chris McDonell wrote in a memo.
He added, “In subsequent conversations, We Energies noted they cannot feed power through switchgear they do not own. Because of this design, engineers began working with contractors and We Energies to develop alternative approaches to meet power delivery needs.”
Because of the sheer scope of the project, the city has built in a contingency fund to accommodate unexpected incidentals, such as this We Energies provision. In his correspondence to the council, McDonell noted a contingency fund for the wastewater treatment facility project still carries a balance of more than $1.57 million.
Previous change orders of $14,373 and $228,762 involved several technical issues.
The entire upgrade to the wastewater treatment facility is expected to cost upward of $20.7 million. The work is taking place through a series of phases in the years ahead.
According to city officials, the wastewater treatment facility in its current iteration is considered beyond its useful life. The current facility was built in 1982, and it had a 20-year life expectancy.
