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Montgomery is moving ahead with its next water plant after the City Council awarded an approximately $8.35 million construction contract Sept. 22.
Council approved awarding the Water Plant No. 4 project to Schier Construction Company for $8,354,190 and authorized the city to execute the contract. The vote passed without opposition.
What you need to know
The project will include a new water well and elevated storage tank as the city adds capacity to its water system.
City officials said six bids were received Sept. 11, ranging from about $8.3 million to $11.5 million. Baxter & Woodman, the project’s design engineer, had most recently estimated construction at about $9.1 million.
Schier submitted the lowest bid, which calls for substantial completion within 500 calendar days.
During the discussion, council members asked whether the contract covered the full water plant, including the elevated storage tank. Officials confirmed the project includes the tank and well, while the site is also being planned to accommodate future equipment, such as additional booster pumps.
The city previously outlined Water Plant No. 4 to include Water Well No. 6, capable of pumping up to 1,000 gallons per minute, and a 500,000-gallon elevated storage tank. The roughly 1.1-acre plant site is located near Old Plantersville and Old Dobbin Plantersville roads.
Diving in deeper
Council also discussed the construction timeline. Officials said the city initially considered requiring completion within 420 days but received feedback that contractors could increase their bids to account for the tighter schedule.
Instead, the contract allows 500 calendar days and includes $2,500 in liquidated damages for each day the project runs beyond that deadline.
Officials said the project is funded through the city’s 2026 certificates of obligation and work can move forward once the contract, insurance, bonding and other required documents are completed.
The elevated storage tank will initially have a tan finish. Officials said adding city branding or other decorative painting had been estimated at about $75,000 and was left out of the contract to keep costs down. The tank will, however, include mounts that could be leased to telecommunications providers in the future.
Also of note
Council also approved reallocating $54,880.89 in unused American Rescue Plan Act funding left after improvements to Water Plant No. 3 and the College Street drainage project came in under their anticipated costs.
The remaining money will be used to reimburse eligible public safety payroll expenses in the city’s general fund rather than being returned.
The city previously awarded a $178,469 contract for a 900-gallon-per-minute booster pump at Water Plant No. 3 in August 2025 using ARPA funding.
What’s next
The 500-day construction timeline for Water Plant No. 4 will begin once the city issues a notice to proceed. Officials said the council could receive another update on the project at its October meeting.
