Show 8 JW Swage Sewage S rr Treatment i Plant Jt 1 Been City's Big Headache for 1957 1 w It iq i. i 1 i N t f. f t. t d j 1 i Y 1 a r r 1 11 i t a p 1 a tt t I y ii l I V K II tt r f t t T. T I I 44 TREATMENT PLANT Although this thit modern modem Moab looks Ideal Idral It has plagued city officials cording to a report from the city engineer It II It Slated elated for completion In August 1956 1958 eaten exten whether or not the plant Is built according to too o operative rat ve Final payment was wa made to Contract that was waa considered faulty by City Engineer Da looking sewage disposal plant situated in West since construction began in early 1056 1956 and ac ac- stilt still not ready to be put Into use Originally lions slona granted to the contractor and disputes over overs s specifications have kept the unit Inor inor Inor In In- or Ralph Childs last week minus the amount vis Is Holder Photo by Don Robinson No date oth other r than an Indefinite soon has been given by by Moab City for the g got of ot full o operation ration at the much muth delayed sewage treatment plant plan I constructed by the city at a cost of 76 5 I IThe The plant has been a headache since bids were opened for lit It I ca In April of 1950 1956 Since that thai 1 time Unie trouble with con corr trac or Ralph Childs has plagued the city with the result that In recent tecetL weeks Childs ChUd has been completely severed from Irom the project project project pro pro- and the city has decided tOmake to tomake make what repairs are necessary on their own Trouble was promised during the bidding bIding when the low bid of Childs Child's proved to be nearly 22 I under the next lowest bidder and under the high bidder bIder bid bI der The differences were rather I remarkable for a project that by estimate should have run More trouble immediately arose ri ti the summer of or 1956 due to a natio national al steel strike that tied up essential machinery As a result result re re- sult suit the contractor received an extension to January 1957 over the completion date of August 1956 An incapacitating illness Ulness of bf designing designing de designing de- de signing engineer Hugo Price In January 1957 caused further delay dolay de do- lay Contractor Childs pled Inability inability in In- ability aMity to furnish specification sand und for the filter beds of f the plant while new engineer D Davis vIs Holder insisted firmly that the sand should meet specifications and could be obtained In early May Childs substituted substandard substandard sub stan substandard dard sand in the filter beds it was reported to the city council The material was rejected by the City Engineer Holder Iolder Childs maintained at the time that former former former for for- I mer engineer Price should de de- de- de cide As the plant neared completion one year later than intended the City Engineer by tes testing discovered discovered disco ered that the roof on ori oi the digester portion of the plant was defective defective defeo- defeo tive and other phases o of 01 construction construe construe- tion were below acceptable standards stan stan- dards In June of 1957 the contract between between between be be- tween Moab and the contractor contract was broken by the city and nd the bonding company holding bond on the contractor was notified City officials Childs and the Massachusetts Massachusetts Massa Massai Bonding and Insurance company representatives met diet on July 23 in Salt Lake City The he I meeting resolved that the city would allow Childs to complete I. I Ithe the plant to standards set et by bythe bythe the city engineer as far as pos pos' possible pos 1 I sible i In n th the final stages of comple completion 1 conle tion and correction tests shoed sho sho- sYo-ar sYo ed that thit h the h repairs undertaken h hon i ion on the roof of the r hadnot hadnot had hadi not Insured tight gas operation of the structure Last month the City Council voted to put an end to the apparent apparent apparent ap ap- ap- ap parent fruitless efforts and negotiations ne no- and with the recommendatIons recommendations of Engineer Holder voted voted- to make final linal payment t to the contractor but withheld a amount equal to the extent extent ex ex- tent the plan was Inoperative Twenty per cent defective was the figure given to the important digester Other adjustments were also made The decision meant that the theal tofal oaI al out of the plant amounted to instead of the that would have been paid had the plant been complete to specification The major Item in the reduction was the roof On November 20 final payment was made the check made out to both the contractor and the bondIng bonding bond bond- bondIng ing company The joint payment was made as a result of the numerous numerous nu nu- nu- nu pleas made to the city by byI I equipment suppliers who had not been paid for materials used Inthe in inthe inthe the plant Word from the city offices this week announced ann that nothing had bad been heard from the contractor since the final payment City Engineer Holder was due In Moab today with plans pl ns it Is hoped for or the correction of the plant deficiencies and some idea of or when the plant can be put in operation The long overdue treatment facility facility fa fa- a- a I duty was undertaken when an anold anold anold I old plant could not handle handie the demands of an Increased lation Its operation is essential to the health of this city and I for that reason the council has taken action to end a very unprofitable unprofitable un un- un profitable and unsuccessful relationship relationship relationship re re- re- re i with the builder I |