A drain-replacement project will cost Gurnee an additional $60,300 because of plumbing issues discovered after construction started, according to village Public Works Director Heather Galan.
She spoke about the need for the additional funding at Monday’s Village Board meeting.
The initial aim of the project was to replace a trench drain in the public works department’s main building, which runs down the middle of the floor and catches water runoff from the department’s vehicles and equipment — both from melting snow and after vehicles and equipment are washed.
The project was initially set to cost $52,700, after the village accepted a bid from Camosy Construction on Aug. 16. The village initially budgeted $70,000 for the project.
“We were thrilled that it was below the budget,” Galan said.
However, with the need to replace piping, the project will now cost $113,000. The board unanimously approved increasing the contract to the higher price, and the board also adjusted its budget to allow for the additional expenditure.
The pipe was discovered after demolition started, according to Galan, who added that while Camosy had the bid to create the new drain, the public works department was doing the demolition to help lower the cost of the project.
“We actually took on that task to try and keep the numbers lower,” she said. “In doing so, we noticed that the pipe wasn’t in the best of conditions.”
The existing pipes are four-inch and six-inch cast iron lines, and will be replaced with six-inch PVC piping. Approximately 200 feet of piping will be replaced, and an additional six feet of concrete will need to be removed to access the piping.
“We’re more than doubling the amount of concrete that we’re removing,” Galan said.
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Galan said that there was no hope of salvaging the pipes, as they were completely clogged and deteriorating.
The pipes that are being replaced were first installed 21 years ago, and Galan said that the new pipes will last significantly longer, most likely between 30 and 50 years.
“I think this will last much longer than the 21 years we got out of the cast iron pipes,” she said. “The cast iron didn’t fare well against all of the harsh chemicals that we use, especially when it comes to fighting snow. The beet juice and the salt just didn’t work well with cast iron.”
During the meeting, Galan said that the project was estimated to be finished by Nov. 1, just in time for winter. Although the village now has to tackle the new issue of replacing the plumbing, the project is still expected to be finished by the same deadline, according to Galan.
“It’s something we really need to get done in order to make sure that our floor is in good shape for the long haul,” she said.