Staff recommends City Council award a professional engineering services contract for W.O. 24-20 Water Treatment Plant Leaks Mitigation to HDR Engineering, Inc. in the amount of $299,800.

Staff recommends awarding a professional services contract to HDR Engineering for design, bidding support, and construction contract administration for priority pipeline improvements at the Water Treatment Plant. The project will address leaking water conveyance pipelines and failing chemical feed lines to reduce water loss, improve reliability, and restore operational redundancy. The FY27 Water Fund budget includes $500,000 for design and initial construction, with sufficient funding available for the proposed contract.

The City of Billings Water Treatment Plant (WTP) has experienced leaks in several critical pipelines and facilities. Since 2024, the City has conducted assessments, testing, and investigations to identify leak locations and potential causes. A July 2026 technical memorandum summarized the findings and recommended rehabilitation or replacement of several pipeline segments to improve reliability and operational efficiency.
Based on these findings, staff identified the following priority improvements:

• High Service Pump Station pipelines: Repair or replace portions of the 48-inch transfer pipeline between the High Service Pump Station (HSPS) and the UV Disinfection Building and the 36-inch transmission main exiting the HSPS. The 36-inch main is the primary supply to Pressure Zone 1N, which serves the hospital and downtown corridors. These improvements will reduce water loss and the risk of service disruptions.
• Raw water conduits: Replace substantial portions of the 36-inch Conduit 1 (C1) and 72-inch Conduit 2 (C2), which convey water from the Control Structure near the Yellowstone River to the Filter Building. C1 has been out of service for several years because of its deteriorated condition, while C2 remains operational with known leaks. These improvements will restore redundancy and operational flexibility, reduce water loss, and lower the risk of failures affecting treatment plant operations.
• Chemical feed lines: Repair existing chlorine and chemical feed lines between the Chemical Building and the Control Structure and install new piping along an alternative alignment. Several existing lines have experienced failures. The improvements will increase reliability and redundancy and help maintain chemical delivery during future maintenance or repairs.

The proposed professional services contract includes evaluating pipeline route alternatives, materials, and sizes; designing cost-effective repairs and replacements; and developing construction sequencing and schedules to maintain WTP operations throughout the project. Services also include preparing cost estimates, providing bidding and post-bid support, and administering the construction contract.

The Request For Proposal (RFP) process was used to select a firm for the project's professional services.  The RFP was sent to eight pre-qualified firms as determined by the City's existing Statement of Qualifications submittals.  HDR Engineering and AE2S Engineering submitted proposals.  HDR Engineering was selected based on Project Team and Availability, Project Approach, and Firm Qualifications and Experience as related to the project needs.

The FY27 Water Fund budget includes $500,000 for project design and initial construction. Sufficient funding is available to award the proposed professional services contract, with the remaining funds to be applied toward the first phase of construction.

City Council may:

• Approve awarding the Professional Services Contract to HDR Engineering in the amount of $299,800; or
• Not approve awarding the Professional Services Contract to HDR Engineering. If the project is not awarded, the respective waterlines will continue to leak, resulting in more water loss and potentially other operational issues within the Water Treatment Plant.