The Phase 1D expansion project will add a fourth treatment structure to the BCRUA water treatment plant, expanding treatment capacity from 32.5 million gallons per day to 41.9 mgd. This will increase Cedar Park’s specific portion in the BCRUA plant from 8.7 mgd to 11.2 mgd. The city’s overall water treatment capacity will increase to 37.2 mgd.
With the design portion being completed and the project now out for bid, engineering services will be needed to support the bidding and construction phases, which will be covered under the agreement, according to city officials. Engineering company Walker Partners was previously selected by the BCRUA to design the project and will be providing the engineering services under the agreement.
Major components supported under the engineering services agreement include managing the bidding project, proposal analysis and verification, general administration of the contract process, submittal review, and the inspection to ensure a high-quality project, Utility Engineering Manager Mike Huber said at the meeting.
“This responsibility is normally put on the contractor as part of the contract to get the plant up and running. Those folks are great at building water treatment plants; they’re not so great at getting it actually working the way it should,” he said. “And so that engineering support helps us do that in a timely manner, so that we can actually use the project.”
The agreement will increase the total engineering services with Walker Partners by $1.4 million, making the overall amount roughly $2.9 million, according to city officials. Cedar Park’s share of the agreement will be $383,280, with an overall cost of $763,479. Funding for the agreement is provided in the city’s fiscal year 2022-23 budget.
The BCRUA is anticipated to open the bids on the Phase 1D expansion project on Feb. 21. Construction on the project is slated to begin early this summer.
