Milton council set to award bids on water tower, new mains
Milton Town Council is set to award contracts for a new water tower on Federal Street and water main replacement project at council’s Monday, March 3 meeting.
On the water tower project, the low bidder was Houston, Texas-based contractor CB&I, a worldwide firm that specializes in building large-scale storage tanks. CB&I’s bid is $3.5 million, which is below the $3.8 million the town had budgeted for the project, which will include a foundation and a 500,000-gallon elevated water tower.
The tower would be about 130 feet high and 56 feet in diameter, similar in height to the town’s two existing water towers. Town officials say it will provide additional storage to meet daily demand and serve as a backup if the town’s two other towers are out of service for maintenance or repair.
The water tower was approved by voters in a January 2024 referendum by a 513-92 margin, which allowed for the town to get a loan from the state Water Infrastructure Advisory Council for a 20-year term at a 2 percent interest rate, with interest-only payments during construction.
Council will also vote on another project that was approved at that referendum: replacing 3,900 linear feet of existing water mains underneath Carey, Walnut, Magnolia, Reed and Mill streets. The project would include replacing valves, abandoning the existing main and repaving the roadway. At Walnut and Mill streets, the town would upgrade to an 8-inch main, while at Carey Street, the upgrade would be from a 2-inch main to a 6-inch main.
The low bidder on the water main project is Dover-based contractor Teal Construction, with a $2.1 million bid. That bid is more than the $1.78 million loan the town received for the project. Brian Miller of town engineer Pennoni Associates said in a letter to Town Manager Kristy Rogers that Teal Construction is willing to work with the town to adjust the scope of the project, which could reduce the cost.
A third project approved in January 2024, a $579,000 rehabilitation of the Chandler Street water treatment facility that would upgrade the plant’s electric system, generator, chemical feeds and testing equipment, and level the concrete floor, is still in the planning phase.
