Lochmueller was selected by Logansport Utilities for this project, which consists of the replacement of approximately 4,000 lead and/or galvanized drinking water service lines. Overall, the scope of the Engineering Services includes project funding assistance, preliminary and final design submittal, bidding phase services, construction administration, and a drinking water system asset management plan. It will be designed, bid, and constructed separately as three (3) individual projects. The project began with the preparation of a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) used to apply for funding from the State Revolving Fund (SRF). An Asset Management Plan (AMP) for the drinking water system was also prepared to fulfill SRF’s requirement for funding applications. As a result, Phase I was awarded a $7.2 million grant from SRF to complete, and Phase II was awarded a $2.5 million grant from SRF.
The design phase involved prioritization of customers to determine which service line replacements would be included in the first and subsequent phase of the project. Critical customers, such as hospitals and schools, were given a high priority. Additional criteria included backlog replacements, environmental justice, and “one-off” replacements. Coordination with other projects in the area was critical to increase efficiency and reduce construction costs, allowing for more service line replacements to be included in the first phase.
The bidding phase included the receipt of a base bid and several mandatory alternates from contractors to maximize the number of services to be replaced. The bid form was constructed to accommodate a variety of replacement scenarios that may be encountered during construction.
During the construction phase, a Construction Engineer from Lochmueller Group is observing the work. Construction costs are tracked monthly to ensure the budget for this phase of the project is not exceeded. Service replacements are also tracked and displayed on a map to visualize the progress of the project. Standard operating procedures were developed for Logansport Utilities to be utilized during current and future projects involving lead service line replacements.
