Consent 1.A.1.
City Council Regular Business Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 04/13/2026
- TITLE
- W.O. 26-20 Water Treatment Plant Filter Building Air Scour Piping Replacement, Bid Award
- PRESENTED BY:
- Louis Engels
- Department:
- Public Works
Presentation:
No
Legal Review:
No
Project Number:
N/A
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council award a contract for W.O. 26-20 Water Treatment Plant Filter Building Air Scour Piping Replacement to SKM Turnkey Construction, LLC in the amount of $942,748.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Water Treatment Plant’s air scour piping and valves are experiencing deterioration, including pipe thinning and valve leakage, requiring replacement to maintain reliable filter operations. This project will replace aging carbon steel piping with stainless steel and upgrade valves and actuators across all 12 filters, improving efficiency, reducing maintenance, and extending system lifespan. Following a competitive bid process, staff recommends awarding the $942,748 contract to SKM Turnkey Construction, LLC, which is within the FY26 budget.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
The Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Filter Building utilizes an air scouring system to backwash (clean) the 12 sand filters. The piping on that system is carbon steel with butterfly valves, and it has started showing signs of deterioration. Inspection has confirmed thinning of the pipes in some areas. In October 2024, one of the pipes began leaking, so a contractor was hired to replace the piping on that filter. This project will replace the piping on the remaining 11 filters. A few of the valves have been inspected, and there is evidence that many of them do not completely seal, causing them to leak. The valves will be replaced as part of this project while the respective filters are out of service.
The project includes the replacement of the carbon steel piping on the air scour lines in the lower level with stainless steel, which has a longer lifespan and does not need to be painted, so maintenance is greatly reduced. The butterfly valves and actuators will be replaced and upgraded on all 12 filters, providing greater efficiency, less maintenance, and more reliability. Small drain valves will also be installed to assist operators in completely draining the filters, which will help with maintenance.
The project was advertised for bids on February 20 and 27 and March 6 and 13, 2026, in the Yellowstone County News and on the City's website. Staff opened bids on March 17, 2026. Five (5) bids were received, and SKM Turnkey Construction submitted the lowest responsible bid.
The project includes the replacement of the carbon steel piping on the air scour lines in the lower level with stainless steel, which has a longer lifespan and does not need to be painted, so maintenance is greatly reduced. The butterfly valves and actuators will be replaced and upgraded on all 12 filters, providing greater efficiency, less maintenance, and more reliability. Small drain valves will also be installed to assist operators in completely draining the filters, which will help with maintenance.
The project was advertised for bids on February 20 and 27 and March 6 and 13, 2026, in the Yellowstone County News and on the City's website. Staff opened bids on March 17, 2026. Five (5) bids were received, and SKM Turnkey Construction submitted the lowest responsible bid.
FISCAL EFFECTS
The following bids were received:
The project was budgeted in FY26 with Water Funds in the amount of $1,050,000. Considering this construction contract and $45,500 previously encumbered for engineering services, there are sufficient funds available to award this contract.
| CONTRACTOR | TOTAL BID |
| SKM Turnkey Construction, LLC | $942,748.00 |
| Strobel Energy Group, LLC | $1,175,548.00 |
| Dick Anderson Construction, LLC | $1,361,000.00 |
| Askin Construction, LLC | $1,529,000.00 |
| COP Construction, LLC | $1,532,680.00 |
The project was budgeted in FY26 with Water Funds in the amount of $1,050,000. Considering this construction contract and $45,500 previously encumbered for engineering services, there are sufficient funds available to award this contract.
STAKEHOLDERS
ALTERNATIVES
City Council may:
- Award W.O. 26-20 Water Treatment Plant Filter Building Air Scour Piping Replacement to SKM Turnkey Construction in the amount of $942,748; or
- Not award a contract and reject all bids. If no contract is awarded, the existing air scour piping will continue to deteriorate, resulting in additional costly maintenance and potentially making the air scour system inoperable. This would hinder the plant from being able to backwash the filters, which could then subject the plant to DEQ violations and reduce the treated water capacity.