By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


Brighton City Council has authorized needed improvements at the Challis Road Water Treatment Plant.

The plant has four iron removal filters for performing what is the primary process of the plant, which is preventing that and other minerals pumped from wells from entering the water distribution system. DPS Regulatory Compliance Superintendent Josh Bradley told City Council last week that these four filters each have a 20-year life span. Filters one and two were replaced in 2018, but three and four are now at 23-years old and in need of replacement.

Three contractors showed up for a pre-bid meeting, but only one submitted. That one was Northern Pump and Well, which did the work on replacing the first two filters. Bradley said the other contractors didn’t submit a bid because they felt they couldn’t do the job themselves and would have to contract their own help to do it.

City Councilmember Jon Emaus said he was curious about how costs may have changed over the past 4 years. DPS Director Marcel Goch said there has been significant change, in that the two 2018 replacements cost $110,000, and the two new ones will now cost $190,000. He said the cost of materials has gone up and that this is one of those things the City has to get done.

The project was approved unanimously by City Council for a price not to exceed $218,144.66. That includes a 15% contingency. Money for the for the project will come from the City’s first half of American Rescue Plan Act Funding, which was $400,000. Goch said they had previously dedicated $75,000 for this work, and will now reserve that for any overages or other costs needed.