Rehoboth mayor: Outfall project on budget
Bad weather has delayed work on Rehoboth Beach’s ocean outfall, but city officials say the project is not over budget.
Mayor Paul Kuhns said the city has paid $19 million in invoices so far, with $16 million left to be paid. He said combined with $3 million in contingencies and $3 million already spent on engineering, the total estimated cost of the project figures to come in around $43 million. The city had received a $52.5 million loan from the state for the project; Kuhns said the three components of the project - the outfall, force main and mechanical upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant - came out to $40 million.
When the city went for its loan with the state, the project included a biosolids facility and additional upgrades to the plant. But those components were dropped when bids came in higher than expected; the city plans to truck its biosolids to Sussex County’s Inland Bays treatment facility instead.
When asked March 16 by Commissioner Toni Sharp whether the project was over budget, Kuhns said the project is under budget, thanks to more than $2 million in construction credits for engineering changes to the project. He said the city has yet to touch its $3 million in contingency money.
Sharp said there is a perception that the project is over budget when it is not. Kuhns also said the project is on schedule.
Brandon Gott, project engineer with the city’s engineering firm GHD, said contractor Manson Construction has received an extension from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers until Saturday, March 31 to finish installing pipe in the water. Gott said at this point there are eight to 10 more days of in-water work left, but weather conditions have been a challenge, delaying work because of rough surf conditions. Gott said based on weather reports, Manson may have some in-water workdays on or after April 1, but the majority of the work should be complete by March 31.
One challenge Manson has faced is redrilling case piping from Deauville Beach into the ocean. During the drilling process, Manson ran into ocean floor that the drill could not get through; crews moved 10 feet over and redrilled the hole. Gott said Manson and its subcontractor paid for redrilling, but a change order claim has been submitted and is under review. Gott said final determination of the claim will determine who is financially responsible.
City Manager Sharon Lynn said Manson has two shifts working at Deauville Beach, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to install the case piping. Once complete, the outfall pipe, which has been assembled on land at the DNREC facility in Lewes, will be towed into the ocean and pulled back through the case piping onto land.
Gott said Manson is hopeful the pullback can be performed within the next two weeks; the pullback only takes one day but it is highly dependant on the weather because it requires a barge with a crane. Rough seas could prevent work from the barge because it could capsize when the crane is deployed.
Meanwhile, contractor A-Del Construction has completed about half the work on the force main, the pipe that carries the treated wastewater from the treatment plant to the outfall pipe and then 6,000 feet off Deauville Beach.
Lynn said A-Del crews are working at Canal Street towards Rehoboth Avenue. This section of work is expected to last two weeks, she said. Lynn said pipe installation underneath Grove Park is continuing. A second crew is working on Henlopen Avenue between Grove and Gerar streets, with work there expected to take two weeks, she said.
Gott said the force main work must be completed by the end of May, but A-Del will be doing minor site restoration work and repaving into June. He said the entire project - outfall, force main and upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant - should be complete by the end of May.
