The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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January 24, 2013

Replacing water line to cost city $2.25 million

By Phyllis Zorn, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID, Okla. — The cost of replacing 2.5 miles of deteriorating water line that serves Covington and rural areas east of Enid will be taken from the city’s capital improvement and street and alley budgets.

Those were the decisions of Enid city commissioners in a special meeting Thursday night, during which they awarded a  $1.8 million contract to Nowak Construction, of Goddard, Kan.

Part of the water line work, including laying 2,460 feet of 8-inch water line along Kremlin Drive to move service connections off the larger line, will be done by city employees.

The total cost of the project, including the portion to be done by the city itself, is estimated at $2.25 million.

The water line stretches from 54th and U.S. 412 to the Koch Nitrogen plant on 78th, carrying about half the city’s water. It supplies Koch Nitrogen, Salt Fork Water District, Covington and Fairmont.

Nowak Construction’s original bid was $3,035,451. That bid included laying the 8-inch line city commissioners decided to have employees do.

Before commissioners gave the nod to the project, they listened to Robert Hitt, city of Enid director of engineering services, outline money-saving modifications to the job as originally proposed and bid, including a shorter route, reducing the size and composition of pipe and having employees do part of the work.

Hitt told commissioners the 35-year-old water line repeatedly has failed over the last month.

“Repairing the deteriorating pipe has become a weekly event,” Hitt said.

Commissioner Ron Janzen asked whether previous repairs have been done by city employees or contractors.

“It’s a combination,” Hitt said.

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