Cost of Port water plant repairs could top $14 million

Port Washington’s aging water plant is in need of repair, and it won’t come cheap.

A needs assessment for the plant reviewed by the Board of Public Works in May estimates the cost at between $13.5 million and $14.3 million.

The assessment will address some major deficiencies at the plant and allow it to meet current Department of Natural Resources codes regarding backup power and needed changes to the clearwell, Tom Nennig, president of City Water, which conducted the study with the consulting firm SEH, said.

The DNR had grandfathered the city’s water plant on these issues in the past, Nennig said, but recently decided to end this practice and require plants like Port’s to update their facilities.

“It’s code,” he said. 

Port isn’t the only community going through this process, Nennig said, noting about a half-dozen surface water plants have to make the same sorts of updates.

The project will allow the city to update old equipment that is beginning to fail and that is difficult to repair since parts are scarce and expensive, Water Supt. Leo Duffrin said, noting that he’s had to source some parts for the plant’s Scada program on eBay.

“This addresses all the critical, end-of-life and near end-of-life issues,” Duffrin said.

Ald. Mike Gasper, a member of the board, asked, “Are we expecting this to bring the plant to where it needs to be for the next 25 years?”

“This will bring everything up to code for the DNR — to today’s code,” Duffrin replied.

The city has known it needs to make some of these changes for some time, he added.

The changes need to be made rather quickly, Nennig added. 

“This isn’t going to be a 10-year plan,” he said, noting the DNR order requires the work to be done by the end of next year.

The city can file for an extension, Duffrin said, but that will only be approved if the city is making progress.

Even then, Nennig said, work must be completed by the end of 2024.

Because the report was just received by the city staff and board, members delayed much of the discussion until the June meeting. 

Despite the high price tag, Duffrin cautioned the board that the end product will not change.

“All this stuff we’re talking about doing, we’re not going to put out any better water than we are today,” he said. “The water is great.”