Progress continues on Grapevine’s water treatment plant improvement project.

Grapevine City Council approved an engineering contract with Ardurra Inc. worth over $2.78 million for design work pertaining to the water treatment plant improvement project during the May 21 meeting. According to city documents, funding for the contract will be allocated through the city’s utility enterprise fund.

The overview

Per city documents, the engineering contract will help cover the final design for several aspects of the $18 million project, including:

• The addition of three new waste filters
• Rehabilitation of four clear well storage tanks and replacement of one other
• A preliminary report about removing additional PFAs, or forever chemicals, from treated water to comply with new Environmental Protection Agency regulations
• Restoration and replacement of other equipment

Director of Public Works Bryan Beck said engineering contracts typically run around 10%, or $1.8 million for the $18 million project; however, the need to comply with new federal regulations and the associated report contributed to increased costs.

The improvements at the water treatment plant are the first at the facility since 1989, according to city documents. To cover the cost of this and two other projects, around $36.7 million in certificates of obligation will be issued in June.

What’s next?

Beck said the design work will take around one year to complete, while construction is expected to take 18 months after the design is complete. Once a construction contract is ready, it and a contract for addressing PFAs will be brought before council for approval, per city documents.