The City of Oshkosh has awarded a $47.6 million construction contract for the Water Filtration Plant Clearwells Replacement Project to C.D. Smith Construction.
The project will replace aging treated-water storage facilities at the city’s Water Filtration Plant on Lake Winnebago. Construction includes two new one-million-gallon clearwell reservoirs and two new pumping stations with a combined capacity of 16 million gallons per day.
City officials approved full replacement rather than rehabilitation after determining the existing clearwells no longer meet current regulatory and safety standards. Two tanks exceed 100 years in age, and a third is more than 65 years old. All are located below the groundwater table and within the 100-year floodplain.
The new facilities will increase treated water storage capacity, improve water quality monitoring, and incorporate updated security features. The project will also bring the plant into compliance with Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter NR 811.
C.D. Smith Construction submitted the lowest of four bids. Competing proposals ranged from approximately $49.3 million to more than $50 million. The city began studying clearwell replacement options in 2012.