by Evelyn Pyburn-Originally published in the print edition of the Yellowstone County News on 11/18/16.
LOCKWOOD — At last week’s Lockwood Water and Sewer District (LWSD) board meeting, the board issued a “final completion” determination to COP Construction for the Phase II Sewer project. A one-year warranty period is now in place.
LWSD made final payment to COP Construction for the Construction of Sewer Project Phase II. The project, like the first phase, was completed under the construction budget. The amount the district anticipated having to borrow to build the sewer was $6.5 million but because of savings the district had to borrow only $6 million, according to Mike Ariztia, LWSD manager.
“We didn’t have to tap into $500,000 in funding we had lined up,” he said.
Jill Cook of Morrison Maierle reported that engineering costs also came in $50,000 under budget. In addition the district was able to take advantage of the construction process to install water lines, which could be done at substantial savings by taking advantage of open lines and construction crews in the field for the sewer.
The water district put in new water lines to the tune of $1,363,000.
During the meeting the board got an update regarding the rate study that is being conducted for the sewer district. They urged the company conducting the study, Raftelis Financial Consultants, to “fast track” that portion of it that will deal with the charges the district will ask of ExxonMobil, to use the system. They are in the process of ironing out the details of an agreement that ExxonMobil is seeking to use the Lockwood sewer system to transport up to 2 million gallons of waste a day to the Billings treatment plant.
It was also suggested that perhaps the pending rate study could be used as incentive to encourage residents in Lockwood to hook up to the system sooner rather than later, when connection fees will undoubtedly be higher once changed after the study is completed.
Ariztia said that 55 properties in Phase II have connected to the read more
