SOUTHWICK – DPW Director Randy Brown announced this week that he is in the process of awarding a contract to JL Raymaakers and Sons for the school district sewer project. Brown said that JL Raymaaker and Sons was the lowest bidder at roughly $1.1 million.
The school sewer project consists of installing a pump station and a sewer system for the entire school campus.
The project came to fruition when the school district was issued an administrative consent order in March of 2014, which was sent by Mass DEP (Department of Environmental Protection). The administrative consent order informed the school district that they were not in compliance with the wastewater discharge regulations that had been set forth by the state. Having a septic system at the time, the district was told by Mass DEP that they would need to build sewers throughout the school buildings around campus.
The sewer system and pump station would connect to the entire school campus. (WNG File Photo)
Given a deadline to connect the sewer system by December of 2018, the school district began to discuss how they could secure funds for the sewers.
According to Stephen Presnal, the district’s business manager, they discovered an opportunity for funding when the town of Southwick’s proposed sewer project failed at annual town meeting in May of 2015.
The school district was able to develop a plan with town officials in order to reach the December 2018 deadline and comply with Mass DEP. The agreement was that the district would be funding the project while the town is managing the design and construction contract for the build of the sewer line and pump station. Presnal said that the district has already provided up to $100,000 for design costs.
With the total amount of the entire sewer connection being $1.4 million, the $1.1 million from the financing of the school building project will be used towards the cost of the project.
Presnal noted the importance of finding funds for the sewer connection to the school campus.
“It’s something we need to get done,” said Presnal. “We needed to get it completed so we can comply with the consent order.”
The design and construction administration cost from the design firm, Tighe & Bond, makes up the rest of the $1.4 million.
