Sedalia Water System Repairs To Cost Nearly $300,000

The City of Sedalia spent nearly $300,000 Monday night for repairs to two water wells and the downtown water tower.

Water Wells 14 and 15 are in dire need of repair. According to City Administrator Kelvin Shaw, the pump, column tube and shaft at each well have deteriorated over time.

Flynn Drilling Company from Troy, Mo., submitted the lowest bid of three at $125,808, and was awarded the contract for Well 15.

Layne Christensen from Kansas City submitted the lowest bid of three for Well 14, and was awarded a $105,221 contract.

The main lines distributing water at the downtown tower on East Main Street are leaking and in need of repair. In order to repair the 20-inch piping, tees and valves, the entire water tower will have to be taken out of service during that time. A temporary pressure tank will be utilized to maintain the proper pressure for the water delivery system, it was noted. Triple C Underground, LLC, from Odessa, was the lowest bidder of three for the project, and was awarded a $67,800 contract.

All three contractors chosen for this latest round of water work have completed similar projects for the City of Sedalia in the past and their work was deemed acceptable.

Council agreed to amend the City's budget, authorizing an increase in budgeted expenditures for fiscal year 2021-2022 relating to water well repair and rehab, as well as repairs to the Main Street Water Tower.

The water systems projects were all included in the City's capital budget. However, all the bids for Wells 14 and 15 rehab came in higher than the amounts budgeted, it was noted. The main repairs for the water tower came in under the budgeted amount, but that was in the previous fiscal year.

Therefore, the City decided to roll funds into this budget year for the water main repairs, and increase the budget for the well repairs.

The amounts will be partially offset with a previous project bid award for repairs made on Well 18.

The net amount to cover these projects is $122,555. Therefore, it was recommended to increase the City's capital budget by that amount to appropriate funding to complete the most recent water system repairs.

Delaying repairs would only translate to even more cost in the future, Shaw noted.

The exact location of the City's water wells was not disclosed during the public meeting of Sedalia City Council due to safety concerns for the City's drinking water, according to Public Works Director Brenda Ardrey.

According to a 2018 water quality report issued March 2, 2019 by the Sedalia Public Water System, there are 11 water wells in use by the City of Sedalia, all of which utilize ground water.

According to published reports, there were no violations that occurred in 2018, 2019 or 2020.