Saving dollars and recycling water are two of the big factors being weighed as the Oxford Village Council decides which company will construct the municipality’s new water treatment plant on S. Glaspie St.
All four bids came in lower than the original $2.7 million estimate provided by the Ohio-based Artesian of Pioneer a few months ago. Council is hoping lower bids mean it will not have to increase water rates by 22 percent as originally projected.
‘If we can keep that increase lower, I’d like to see that,? said Councilman Tony Albensi, noting he wants officials to ‘do what we can to keep it under 20 (percent).?
The village is looking to build a new water plant capable of treating at least 2.2 million gallons per day (MGD), but easily expandable up to 4.4 MGD.
Built in 1978, the existing plant includes non-functioning softeners and other equipment that’s deteriorating due to age and is undersized in terms of handling well capacity. The facility also has multiple safety issues.
‘I think it’s a disaster from a mechanical standpoint,? said Ed Kidston, president of Artesian.
At $2.4 million, the Oxford-based Trojan Development Co. submitted the lowest bid to build a new plant.
Trojan built both of the township’s new water treatment plants along with the booster station needed to fill the new 1 million gallon storage tower on N. Oxford Rd.
Artesian was the next lowest bidder at $2.45 million while the Kalamazoo-based Jones & Henry Engineers, Ltd./Layne Christensen Company proposed to do the project for $2,571,500.
The Wixom-based Peerless-Midwest submitted the highest bid at $2,677,884.
Village Manager Joe Young noted that if anyone other than Artesian is awarded the bid, the village will have to pay the Ohio company $40,000 for its use of a temporary softener at the existing water plant.
Taken this into consideration exactly $10,000 separates Trojan and Artesian’s bids.
Council could add another estimated $40,000 to all the bids if it decides to install a system that recycles 100 percent of the water used to backwash the treatment plant’s filters, instead of emptying it all into the sewer.
‘The recycling of the water excites me,? Albsensi said. ‘I’d like to look into that.?
Kidston proposed the idea to council. He said his company invented a process that can ‘totally eliminate? backwash going into the sewer.
Approved by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, according to Kidston, the process is already used by the Livingston Community Water Authority.
Based on Artesian’s proposed plan for the new village plant, recycling the backwash would prevent a ‘little over 3 million gallons? of water annually from ending up in the sewer.
‘I just think it’s an environmental catastrophe to flush all that water down the sewer,? said village President Chris Bishop, noting it ultimately goes ‘into our lakes.?
Not only would recycling the backwash be good the environment, it could also possibly lower village residents? sewer bills. The village as a whole is billed by Oakland County for sewer use based on flow (i.e. how much waste water is sent to Detroit).
Bishop noted a savings on sewer bills could help ‘offset? increases to water bills for the new plant.
Officials gave the four bidders until June 20 to submit proposals for backwash reclamation systems. Council hopes to award the bid at its 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 24 meeting.
The village plans to pay for a new water plant by selling municipal bonds next month and paying them off over a 20-year period.
Young reported that the village’s bond rating was recently upgraded from an ‘A? to ‘AA-? This should help the village secure a lower interest rate when it comes to paying off bond debt.
‘AAA? is the highest possible bond rating.
Bishop noted the village is looking into other ways to save money such as the possibility of contracting with the Oakland County Drain Commissioner’s Office to monitor its water plant.
Currently, the village spends $144,400 annually in wages and benefits for two full-time employees to man the plant.
The county currently maintains and operates the township’s water system, which includes monitoring its two treatment plants.
Village officials and county representatives met Tuesday to discuss things.
Bishop said the village would still do its own meter reading, billing and water main work even if it decided to contract with the county for plant monitoring.