Canby Herald Online

Aurora awards contract for water filtration system

• By: Ray Hughey  
• Published: 2/16/2010 11:35:55 AM

The Aurora City Council has awarded a contract to build a new water system filtration project to Cascade Water Works of Salem.
 
The Cascade offer of $494,200 was the lowest of three bids considered by council at a special meeting Tuesday, Feb. 2.
 
The other bids were from Stettler Supply and Construction of Salem, $525,900, and Triad Mechanical Inc. of Portland, $555,581.
 
The filtration system will reduce levels of arsenic, manganese, iron and other contaminants in the city's water.
 
The project includes a filtration treatment system, a pre-manufactured treatment building, filters, piping, valves and controls. It will be built near the post office on city property where the water tower and pump house are located.
 
Cloudy, brown water from the city's four active wells has been a longtime bane of Aurora residents, but the city had been unable to afford the cost of a filtration system.
 
That changed last year when the city received a $676,625 grant, including federal stimulus funds, through the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department.
 
The grant included $300,813 in funding and a low-interest loan from the Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund.
 
The city took out a $300,812 loan at 3 percent interest over 20 years. The city will repay about $22,000 a year, using a $5 to $6 a month water-user fee approved in April 2009. The user fee will not be assessed until the project is completed.
 
Mayor James Meirow expects construction to start in the next month. Under terms of the grant, the project must be completed by March 30, 2011, but Meirow expects to finish by fall 2010.

  (log in to rate)