LAKE STATION | A Westfield, Ind. company will serve as general contractor for construction of phase one of the city's water improvement project.
The Board of Works on Tuesday awarded a $7.7 million contract to Thieneman Construction, Inc., the lowest of four bids received by the city.
Other bids received included J.J. Henderson & Sons, Gurnee, Ill., $8.6 million; Bowen Engineering, Indianapolis, $8.2 million and Tonn & Blank, Michigan City, $8.5 million.
Phase one improvements will include the new water supply wells, new groundwater treatment plant and water main improvements, Mayor Keith Soderquist said.
Phase two improvements, which will be bid next year, will include storage tank improvements and additional water main improvements.
The majority of the work is being done in the first phase, which will start as soon as weather breaks next year, Cara Boyles said.
Boyles serves as project manager for American Structurepoint, the Indianapolis/South Bend company hired in 2008 by city officials to study and to make work recommendations on Lake Station's aging water system.
The contract awarded to Thieneman Construction is contingent upon the loan closing on Dec. 12 of the phase one portion of an $11 million Indiana Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, Boyles said.
The city applied for the low-interest loan and learned earlier this year that the state had approved the Lake Station project, Soderquist said.
The anticipated completion of the first phase of the water improvement project is July 1, 2014, Boyles said.
To pay for the improvements, water rates in Lake Station will initially go up to $21.42 per month then a year later to $23.71, Soderquist said.
A third and final increase of another $3 a month is proposed but not certain at this time, Soderquist said.
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