Longport Happy Face water tower.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
LONGPORT – It’s been a long time coming, but after five years of planning, the Board of Commissioners Wednesday, Dec. 15 issued a contract to build a new well house at the Public Works facility on 31st Avenue.
The borough started investigating the upgrade of its water distribution system several years ago when it became evident that heavy water usage during the summer months was degrading the aging system. The borough’s older wells – some more than 50 years old – were starting to fail and required expensive maintenance making it cost-prohibitive for ratepayers. The borough also encouraged water conservation and established odd-even lawn watering days to reduce stress on the system. It also raised utility rates to support planned upgrades.
Phase 1 of the project was completed earlier this year after obtaining permits from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, which allowed the borough to drill a new well – Well No. 4 – at the Public Works yard. Then-engineer Richard Carter, who fully retired at the end of 2020, said the well would put the water distribution system “in good shape” for a very long time.
After Carter’s departure, the borough hired Ed Dennis Jr. of Remington & Vernick to serve as municipal engineer and see through the completion of Phase 2 of the well house construction.
A.C. Schultes, Inc. of Woodbury completed the installation of Well No. 4 last spring at a cost of $681,450. ARH Associates of Hammonton, was awarded a contract not to exceed $190,000 for design and construction management.
On Wednesday, the commissioners awarded a $1.6 million contract to MBE Mark III Electric, Inc. of Madison to construct the well house, which will include consolidation of utility operations and establish offices on the second floor of the building out of harm’s way during potential flooding events. The project is being funded in part with a $2.14 million utility bond ordinance approved in 2019.
The borough received two bids on Nov. 23, but discovered the low bidder’s estimate was “unbalanced,” Dennis said. Although the cost of a generator was included in the overall bid amount, the contractor agreed to adjust the line item covering the cost of the generator by issuing a zero cost change order to address the concern.
“It moves value from one bid item to another, so we don’t have exposure on that item,” he said.
ARH Associates also received approval for a change order that added $141,600 for additional construction management and inspections of the new well house.
Dennis said the construction process will start in the new year, but “it may be a little bit of time for materials before you actually see shovels in the ground.”
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