Council Approves Contracts for New Water Tower

At a recent meeting, Milford City Council approved contracts with CB&I Tank Storage Solutions LLC to begin construction of a new water tower in the northwest section of Milford. The contract includes the storage tank construction and associated piping, valves and electrical components.

“All items associated with the storage tank are included except for the facility, parking well house and security fencing,” Willis Shafer, Public Works Director said. “The well facilities have been addressed in a previous contract. If approved tonight, the only thing we will have to come back to council on is the parking lot and security fencing.”

CB&I submitted the only bid for the project at a cost of $2,996,330 plus a five percent contingency bringing the contract to $3,146,330. The proposed schedule has fabrication beginning in the fall of 2026, field assembly to begin in the spring of 2027, storage tank painting in the fall of 2027 with the water tank online in 2028.

In addition, a contract with KCI Technologies for construction administration was presented in the amount of $106,150. The contract would allow KCI Technologies to handle the administrative matters such as change orders, preconstruction meetings, progress meetings and inspection services.

Another service contract with KCI Technologies was presented to conduct an investigation into a second water tower in northeast Milford. The total of that contract was $53,000. Councilman Jason James asked how these costs correspond with the $7 million in the proposed CIP.

“I remember at one point in time when we were discussing a water tower, even though we had originally start discussing, we didn’t have a location,” Shafer said. “We didn’t know we were going to have the business park, but we knew we needed a water tower. I believe the $7.5 million was in our cost-of-service study.”

Finance Director Lou Vitola confirmed Shafer’s comments.

“The $7.5 million was a preliminary budget that was made up in the CIP based on what the engineers initially expected for the cost of the water infrastructure going in out there,” Vitola said. “The things Willis is asking for approval on now is still on track to be within the $7.5 million budget.”

Shafer stated that even with the treatment plant for the new well, the costs should remain under $7.5 million. James pointed out that the new water tower was initially supposed to provide a significant amount of water, even beyond northeast Milford.

“I am less optimistic about water needs,” Shafer said. “We did put in the CIP this year to have a water usage master plan. We’re probably seeing 400 to 500 residential properties coming online every year and although we do not have a shortage of water, I think we need to take a professional look at future needs of Milford. I think a second well will only provide needed water in the future. The southeast tower is not producing water, so we need to figure out how to compensate for those wells that are not producing in the south.”

Councilwoman Nadia Zychal commended the master plan.

“I think it’s important for the city to have that master plan, the water master plan,” Zychal said. “Because there’s a concern not just for water quantity, but water quality as well.”

Council approved the three contracts unanimously.