Soledad City Council approves contract change order to finalize recycled water project.

The Soledad City Council unanimously approved Wednesday, Oct. 21, by 5-0, a $59,571 contract change order for the City’s recycled water conveyance project, bringing the construction contract with Specialty Construction Inc. to a total not to exceed about $12,669,757.

The change order covers additional work and material costs, including a dedicated pump for the project’s supplemental chlorine injection system. It also accounts for negotiated credits on work that was reduced or eliminated.

Public Works Engineering Project Manager Alex Ramos, said the change order will be funded through the Urban Community Drought Relief Grant, using previously approved construction contingency funds.

Ramos added that the chlorine system is intended to support water quality as recycled water travels through the distribution network, particularly when demand is low and water may remain in the pipes for an extended period.

“It’s a belt and suspenders approach,” Ramos said. He described the added treatment as an operational safeguard for the recycled water system. The water is intended for irrigation at parks and school sites, not for residential use.

The project has completed installation of about 5.5 miles of pipeline, according to Ramos and the state has given preliminary approval to the project’s swivel oil connections. Remaining work is expected to focus largely on the water reclamation facility, including final pipeline connections, pump station installation, pressure testing and disinfection.

City Manager Megan Hunter, says they are developing a financing approach that would account for capital and maintenance costs, likely through an enterprise fund. That approach, including any rate structure, is expected to return to the council.

Ramos said the city is forecasting that the project could incur roughly $300,000 in additional costs, primarily from miscellaneous soft costs, though the final amount is not yet known.

Mayor Anna Velazquez emphasized the need to explain utility bills to residents, which combine water, sewer and trash charges and noted that, even with the change order, the contract remains below the project’s original construction bid amount.

“We are by far the cheapest water in the area,” says Hunter. “Because everything is consolidated on the bill. Not only water, sewer, but also trash. It can sometimes seem like our rates are really high, but when you break it down per each section, we're actually much less expensive.”