SIOUX CITY — The Sioux City Council will hear a presentation Monday about the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) project delivery approach for the phase rebuild of the city’s aging wastewater treatment plant.
Hazen and Sawyer will deliver the presentation during the council’s weekly meeting, which begins at 4 p.m. at City Hall. The Minneapolis environmental engineering firm is providing design, site survey and geotechnical investigation, construction administration and observation, as well as post construction services for the project.
“Hazen and Sawyer will offer an overview of the CMAR model, elucidating its principles, benefits, and potential applications within the context of our project. This session aims to equip the Mayor and Council with a deeper understanding of CMAR, enabling informed decision-making regarding its incorporation into our construction framework,” city documents stated.
People are also reading…
According to the documents, the CMAR approach method carries “significant financial implications” versus the traditional Design-Bid-Build (DBB)
“While DBB offers a straightforward procurement process, CMAR presents potential financial benefits through early contractor involvement, value engineering, and risk mitigation strategies. CMAR’s upfront costs may appear higher, but its potential to reduce change orders, project delays, and overall construction expenses warrants careful consideration,” the documents stated.
Sioux City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant is shown in this 2022 file photo.
Last year, the council, in spite of objections from the business community, approved a residential, commercial and industrial sewer rate hike to help fund a projected $470 million three-phase rebuild of the plant. The council has committed to the first two phases of the project, which consist of rebuilding the plant at its current location and also slightly increasing the plant’s capacity, which the Iowa DNR is requiring.
The first phase will address all safety and reliability issues associated with the liquids stream treatment process, along with odor control at York, Floyd and Riverside lift stations. The second phase will address reliability issues with the solids handling processes. In FY 2025, $300 million in is being requested for construction and $12 million for odor control. The funding source for the $312 million is sewer Iowa revolving loan proceeds.
The plant, 3100 S. Lewis Blvd., poses significant safety issues for city staff and has a history of compliance issues with the state. In January 2022, the DNR filed suit against the city over alleged repeated environmental violations at the plant, which dated back to March 2012. The city faces fines adding up to millions of dollars.
The city is paying for the wastewater treatment plant project with a combination of funding, including the rate increase and American Rescue Plan Act dollars. The city received $40.6 million from ARPA, a COVID relief package signed by President Biden in March 2021.
The Journal’s Jared McNett shows how to download and browse the Sioux City Journal’s app.
