TERRE HAUTE —
Nine companies Thursday submitted bids ranging from more than $115 million to $126 million for the construction of the second phase of a project to replace Terre Haute’s 50-year-old wastewater treatment plant.
The bidding companies were not just from Indiana or adjacent Illinois, but from areas as diverse as Roanoke, Texas; South Burlington, Vt.; Dayton, Ohio; and Crystal City, Mo. More than 40 people assembled in the city’s courtroom, the only room large enough for the bid opening before the Terre Haute Board of Sanitary Commissioners.
The apparent high bid was $126.5 million from Renda (Oscar) Contracting Inc. in Roanoke, Texas. The apparent low bidders are Plocher Construction Co. of Highland, Ill., at $115.43 million and Thieneman-Walbridge of Westfield (Ind.) at $115.95 million.
City Engineer Chuck Ennis said the estimates are “a little more” than the engineer’s estimates of $100 million to $110 million for the project, but are still likely within range of the project.
“We will find out once we dig into the bids,” Ennis said. “We will find out if they are procedurally accurate and in order and we will get some idea as to where our estimates varied. There could be some confusion in the bidding, but those details will be worked out later.”
The bids were close together, within 10 percent of the high and low bid range, Ennis said.
“We are happy with the bids. We have not had a project with nine bidders since I have been here,” the city engineer said.
The sanitary board will meet Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. to announce its decision on awarding a contract for the project.
Once awarded, work can begin in January on the three-year-long construction project.
“The reason it takes three years is because you have to keep the treatment plant open while you are building all the new facilities around it,” Ennis said. “It would go much faster if you were building a new [wastewater treatment] plant out in a cornfield somewhere and then just flipped the switch one day, but we don’t have that luxury.”
The first phase of the project was a new wastewater headworks, costing $6.7 million. That project came under engineer’s construction cost estimates, Ennis said.
The new wastewater treatment plant will process 48 million gallons a day, double the city’s current capacity of 24 million gallons a day. The new plant will improve odor control, as treatment processes are indoors, Ennis said.
The project will be entirely paid from the State Revolving Fund, which is administered by the Indiana Finance Authority and provides funding to municipalities for wastewater or drinking water projects through a low-interest bond.
Ennis said the city expects to get the 20-year bond loan in the “2 percent to 3 percent” interest range, based on previous state loans awarded this year. The life expectancy of the new plant is 50 years, the city engineer said.
Reporter Howard Greninger can be reached at 812-231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.
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9 bids submitted for wastewater plant
Sanitary board will announce selection Oct. 11
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